Brussels, 18/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - The multi-annual SAPASRD programmes (agricultural support for accession candidate countries) for Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Latvia and Slovenia will be formally adopted by the European Commission in the coming days after having been approved, last week, by the competent European Committee, the Committee on agricultural structures and rural development. Each of these six programmes determine, for the countries concerned, the various types of projects that will receive, between 2000 and 2006, aid from SAPARD, the Community instrument aimed at supporting the transition towards EU accession, from agriculture to the rural world of the candidate countries. Before these programmes are launched, each of the beneficiary countries must sign with the Commission a multi-annual convention for the financing, setting the methods for the delegation to their SAPARD agencies of the programme management. These signatures must occur before the end of the year, on penalty of losing the credits foreseen for 2000.
The SAPARD programmes of the four beneficiary countries - Romania, Slovakia, Estonia and Lithuania - should also be adopted before the end of the year, on condition that the final problems are resolved, announced a Commission spokesperson. The spokesperson underlined the Commission's exasperation in the face of the procrastination from Romania with regards to the Romanian SAPARD agency, of which the Commission is awaiting to know with certitude if its will be placed under the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture or that of Finances.
The SAPARD programme enables the Commission to contribute each year until 2006, EUR 520 million for the adjustment of agriculture and rural development in the candidate countries. These funds are divided in the following manner, in millions of Euro: Bulgaria 52.124; Czech Republic 22.063; Estonia 12.137; Hungary 38.054; Lithuania 29.829; Latvia 21.148; Poland 168.683; Romania (150.636); Slovenia 6.337; Slovakia (18.289).