Visegrad Four unite to demand equal treatment for new EU members

Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia will sign a pact later this month, aimed at strengthening their hand during European Union (EU) accession negotiations. In a joint declaration Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller, together with his counterparts from Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, will demand that new member states get equal treatment in an enlarged EU. The countries will work out a common stance on the issue of direct funds for individual farmers. The joint declaration by the so-called "Visegrad Four" will not substitute for their individual negotiations in the agriculture sector, but will create common ground for compromise with EU member countries. The joint strategy will cover the issues of equal competition conditions for the candidate countries and a shorter transition period for obtaining agricultural aid funds in full from the EU. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 20; Reuters) P.J.