Seville Summit, EU integration timetable set, but agriculture issue still thorny

EU leaders agreed during the Seville summit that negotiations on Poland's and the remaining nine candidate countries' accession are to be concluded in December. "We drafted a crystal clear schedule for the candidates," said summit host, Spanish Prime Minister José Maria Aznar. "By early November the EU will take decisions on the financial terms for the enlargement, and negotiations will be concluded in December. Then, before the elections to the EU Parliament in June 2004, the new candidates will be admitted". However, Poland would have to agree to unfavorable financial conditions for rural area integration, which may have a negative influence on the results of Poland's referendum to join the EU. "We are satisfied with the schedule," said Prime Minister Leszek Miller but added that the government could not accept unfair treatment for Polish farmers, who would not have an chance to compete with their western counterparts, "We expect equal opportunities for all," he explained. At the EU summit in Copenhagen, December 12-13, an attempt will be made to reach a compromise between EU and Poland on the issue. (Rzeczpospolita, June 24, p. A6) K.S.