Brussels, 25/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - The EU's STAR Committee (on agricultural structures and rural development) has approved three new rural development programmes in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, applying for EU membership. These programmes will be cofinanced by the EU, with credits from the Community pre-accession instrument SAPARD.
The three new programmes approved concern Slovakia, Lithuania and Estonia. There is only one behind schedule, that for Romania, as those concerning the other CEEC had already been approved. EUROPE will come back to the three new programmes in tomorrow's bulletin and to the overall situation of this major chapter for action towards preparing candidate countries for accession.