Luxembourg, 18/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Spanish Presidency gradually and patiently reached a compromise, on Monday in Luxembourg, that will allow the Fifteen to adopt a common position with a view to negotiation on the agricultural chapter and respect of the timetable adopted in Gothenburg and Laeken. The agreement reached by the Foreign Ministers defers until the autumn the tricky issue of implementing direct aid in the future new Member States. It comes with a Commission declaration affirming that its proposal on gradual introduction of direct aid remains valid and that it intends to stick to this approach.
The text of the agreement as it will be taken on board in the EU common position on agriculture reads: "The Financial Perspectives agreed in Berlin for the period 2000-2006 did not cover direct payments in agriculture to the new Member States. However, direct support schemes listed in Council Regulation (EC) No 1259/1999 and its annex are part of the acquis. A Commission declaration on this issue is annexed. Taking into account that the acquis must be applied to all Member States, with transitional modalities to be adopted with the candidates in the Treaty of Accession, a decision on the issue of direct payments must still be taken in order to complete the common position on agriculture. In accordance with the timeframe agreed in Göteborg and Laeken, this decision will be taken in due time to comply with the steps and timetable to be agreed in the Seville European Council in relation with the final phase of the enlargement negotiations, and without prejudging the forthcoming internal discussions on Community policies".
After the meeting of the Council President, Jose Piqué welcomed the flexibility shown by certain delegations and stressed that this compromise will make it possible to respect the timetable for enlargement. Commissioner Günter Verheugen, who had hoped, last Monday, for the adoption of such a working framework (see EUROPE of 10/11 June, p.8), also said he was very pleased with this result. "Without today's decision, we would have lost time, impetus and credibility", he said, stressing that agricultural negotiations will now be able to start.