Verheugen: EU will not use protective clauses against Poland

The possibility of using the clauses was introduced in the accession treaty based on fears that Poland and other acceding countries would not be able to introduce all necessary EU regulations on time. They would allow the EU to maintain border controls on goods, or exclude countries from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In November's report on the acceding countries' progress, the European Commission pointed out 40 'severe delays', nine of which concerned Poland. Introduction of the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) remains a major problem for all acceding countries. In spite of this, Verheugen said that he does not see a need for introducing the clauses. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B2) T.J.