Commissioner Fischler still hopes that all 2000 budget for SAPARD programme may be committed before end of year, despite problems in preparations for projects

Brussels, 06/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commissioner responsible for agriculture, Franz Fischler, reiterated, on Tuesday, the Commission's desire to do its best so that all of this year's EUR 520 million earmarked for the agricultural pre-accession aid programme (SAPARD), in favour of the six candidate countries from Central and Eastern Europe (CEEC), be successfully committed by the end of the year, he said, following his meeting with the Agriculture Ministers from the six CEEC candidates. It is necessary for the 2000 budget to be committed before the 31 December (even if the effective payment will only happen in 2001 or later), as all the money not committed from the SAPARD 2000 budget will not be transferred to the following year and thus will be lost.

Mr. Fischler explained to the Ministers that three steps must still be passed:

• The adoption by the Commission, of national SAPARD programmes. The Commission is still in the process of examining the content of the proposals presented by the candidate countries at the beginning of the year and it is proposing to rapidly approve them (probably in July or August, depending on the problems that still need to be answered). One of the main problems faced by the Commission in its examination of the national proposals is that the candidate countries have a tendency to multiply the projects instead of concentrating on some priorities. According to Mr. Fischler, the priorities must be - in order -:

1)  a) Support the restructuring of the processed food industry; b) increase the quality of production in terms of health, hygiene and sanitary and phytosantiary rules; c) rural development;

2)  Put in place management and financing agencies for the projects. Given that SAPARD will be managed by the candidates themselves on the basis of a decentralised approach, the Commission attaches a great importance in that the candidates establish agencies that answer to the same criteria of efficiency, quality and confidence than the administrative structures and the existing controls in the Member States for the management of EU agricultural or regional aid. However, the deployment of these agencies is proving more difficult the planned for the candidates (it is necessary to find the human and technical resources necessary) and thus could still take some time, even more so because they will have to be accepted and approved by the Commission. The SAPARD agencies will be responsible for the final selection of the specific projects that will be financed (in accordance with the principal of decentralisation) as well as the correct use of the means.

As soon as the national programmes are approved by the Commission and as soon as the decentralised management and financing agencies will be in place, the Commission and the candidate will be able to sign a financial memorandum allowing for the effective transfer of SAPARD aid.

Commissioner Fischler indicated that in the future, meetings with the Ministers of Agriculture from the CEEC countries will take place on a regular basis, but he excluded that subjects directly linked to the accession negotiations (for example delicate questions on direct aid) would be discussed.