Prodi: environment and agriculture are the toughest challenge on Poland's road to EU
The Head of the European Commission Romano Prodi, who yesterday arrived in Poland for a two-day visit, said Poland made significant progress on the road to the European Union, however it still faced "several obstacles". Prodi stressed that if Poland wanted to vote in 2004 in European Parliament elections, it would have to continue the painful and costly reforms necessary to bring the state's industry, agriculture and laws up to Union standards. Prodi said the toughest for Poland would be meeting the EU environmental standards and bringing its agriculture sector in line with EU norms. Prodi added that two other questions would be also hard to negotiate: transition periods for the full opening of the European labor market, demanded by Germany, and Poland's wish for a long transition period on land sales to foreigners. Despite some earlier hopes that Polish diplomats would convince Prodi to endorse opening up labor markets immediately after EU enlargement and to pay out equal agricultural subsidies, Prodi avoided any committing statements. Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek said he still believed in a breakthrough in accession negotiations before the end of the Swedish presidency in June, and urged the EU to open talks on agriculture as soon as possible. He reiterated Poland's hopes for concluding negotiations by the end of this year and entering the EU on January 1, 2003. As the European Commission's negotiation timetable foresees the talks ending in mid-2002, the ambitious target set by Polish government seems unachievable. kp
Źródło:IntelliNews Daily
