Brussels, 03/09/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is expected to approve, on Monday, a EUR 3.6 billion rural development programme for Poland for the period 2004-2006. EUR 2.9 billion will be from the "Guarantee" section of the European Agricultural Guarantee and Guidance Fund (EAGGF).
Measures financed are as follows: - aid to disadvantaged areas (EUR 976.3 million, of which 781.4 are financed by the EU budget); - early retirement (640.5 million of which 512.4 come from the Community budget; - aid to semi-subsistence farms being restructured (376.3 million, of which 301 million from EAGGF); - agri-environment and animal welfare (348.9 million, of which 279 million from EAGGF); - support to producer groups (25.4 million of which 20.2 million from the EU budget); - aid for planting trees on farmland (101.8 million, including 81.4 million from EAGGF); - respect of Community norms (243.4 million, including 194.7 million from EAGGF); - technical assistance (34 million, including 27.1 from the Community budget); - complements to direct payments (705.3 million including 564.2 from EAGGF); - and projects linked to the SAPARD pre-accession programme (140 million, including 105 million from the EU budget).