Agricultural integration strategy for the EU's new member states
The European Commission has set out its strategy for dealing with the
EU's enlargement negotiations on agriculture: direct payments to
farmers and the level of production quotas for the new member countries once
they join the EU in 2004. To ease the problems of transition in rural areas, and
to encourage the necessary restructuring of the new member states'
agricultural sectors, the Commission proposes to beef up financial support
through an enhanced rural development policy. Given that immediate introduction
of 100% direct payments would serve to freeze existing structures and to hamper
modernisation, the Commission favours a gradual introduction of direct payments
over a transition period of ten years: for 2004, 2005, 2006 direct payments
equivalent to 25,30,35%, reaching 100% in 2013. According to the proposal, this
aid could also be topped up with national funds. The new member states would
however have full and immediate access to Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
market measures, such as cereal intervention.