Brussels, 31/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - As soon as they were adopted by the European Commission, the Commission's proposals on the financial aspects of enlargement caused strong reaction among some governments of the countries applying for EU membership. Thus, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic rejected the strategy defined by the Commission on phasing in direct aid in the new Member States, the aim of which is to ensure "gentle" integration of candidate countries into the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), while allowing them to better restructure this sector (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.8).
"The initial level of direct aid proposed (25% in 2004) is largely unsatisfactory. The proposal of a 10-year period before reaching 100% of compensation is unacceptable", Michal Tober, spokesman for the Polish government, said at a press conference. "The lack of complete compensation could have a negative effect on the possibilities for liberalising the agri-food trade", he said. According to the Polish government, the proposals on direct aid "do not guarantee respect of the principle many time underlined by the European Union that all member countries must be treated on an equal footing". Poland pointed out that it was giving itself until 15 February for "analysing proposals" from the EU, before formulating its negotiating position on the subject of the agriculture chapter, said Mr Tober. The Polish Foreign Minister, for his part, said in a press release that the mechanisms for payment and the sums proposed are "very far from the Polish position" compared to the contributions that Poland will make to the Union budget. "The Polish government considers it is essential to avoid a situation in which the recent EU member countries become net contributors of its budget", adds the government.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban spoke along the same lines. He said he was disappointed by the agricultural proposals, while asking to be treated on an equal footing with the Fifteen. "We do not share the Commission's position and we have come to seek support" in Stockholm, he said during a press conference in the Swedish capital. Hungary hopes to have Sweden and Finland on its side. "We are very impatient to know the reaction of the heads of governments of the EU countries on the Commission's position", added the Prime Minister, who stressed that the Commission's proposals are not a position (common) to all EU countries and that there will be internal discussion. Jan Fencl, Czech Agriculture Minister, considered as "unacceptable" the agricultural strategy proposed, during a press conference in Prague. The Czech farmers "must be treated on an equal footing", he pounded out, also adding that his country will defend this principle of equality during the forthcoming negotiations. According to the Czech Vice-Minister for Agriculture, the European Commission's position on direct aid "does not even please some current Member States in its current form" and could therefore be subject to change.