Brussels, 02/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Commissioner responsible for Agriculture, Franz Fischler, singed, on 2 February, the multi-annual financing agreement SAPARD with Romania. Last week, these same agreement had been signed with three other accession candidate countries, Estonia, Poland and Latvia (see EUROPE of 26 January). These agreements define and specify, for the whole of the 2000-2006 period, the rules for the management and control of pre-accession aid that the candidate countries from Central and Eastern Europe receive from the EU in the framework of SAPARD, the pre-accession aid to support the agricultural sector and rural development. However, the signing of the multi-annual agreements does not constitute the last barrier that the candidate must cross for the SAPARD aid to become operational, as the annual financing agreements still have to be singed. Then, the candidates must set up "SAPARD agencies" that will be responsible for the management and distribution of the funds granted by the EU. The first payments of SAPARD funds from the EU budget will be possible once these SAPARD agencies exist and that they have been formally accepted and approved by the Commission, following an accreditation procedure.
Commissioner Fischler commented on Friday: "the preparation process for the implementation of SAPARD was a challenge for the Commission and Romania. But I am sure that we can achieve the aims of the SAPARD programme." Mr Fischler also expressed the hope that all the candidate may accelerate their works for the establishment of the necessary structures, notably the SAPARD agencies, to benefit from SAPARD so that the first payments may take place "as quickly as possible." The Commissioner also reiterated his intention to examine the possibility to extending until 2003 the cut off date until when the 2000 SAPARD funds will have to be completely spent, under penalty of being lost. This cut off date is presently 2002.
On Monday Mr Fischler will sign financing memorandum
of SAPARD programme for Czech Republic
Commissioner Franz Fischler will be, on Monday and Tuesday, in the Czech Republic, where he will sign with the Finance Ministers Pavel Mertlik the financing memorandum for the implementation of the SAPARD programme in this country. Meetings are planned with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jan Kavan, and the Minister for Agriculture, Jan Fencl. They will notably discuss the state of readiness of the Czech Republic during it progression towards its accession to the EU. Mr Fischler must also take part in a conference on "Czech agriculture and food industry in the European Union", meet representatives from farming organisations and NGOs and visit a farm and a dairy farm in the North of Bohemia.