| Series Title | European Voice |
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| Series Details | Vol.8, No.17, 2.5.02, p9 |
| Publication Date | 02/05/2002 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date: 02/05/02 THE EU will reject efforts by Hungary to re-negotiate the terms of its accession agreement on foreign land purchases, the European Commission's top enlargement official warned this week. The country's incoming centre-left government has strongly criticised the existing deal, which includes a three-year transition period before non-Hungarian citizens living in the country can buy farm property. EU citizens living outside the country would have to wait for seven years after the country joins the Union before they could buy Hungarian land. But Eneko Landaburu, the Commission's director-general for enlargement, said it is 'not realistic' to expect that Hungary could renegotiate the deal to match the one the EU agreed with Poland, which bars foreigners from buying land for up to 12 years. 'We accepted a longer transition period for Poland because of its specific situation,' Landaburu said. 'We cannot accept for other candidates what we accepted for Poland.' Hungary's likely new prime minister, László Kovács, said the three-year transition period for foreigners living in the country should be granted only if the EU agrees to reduce the 10-year delay before full direct agriculture subsidies start flowing to applicant states. Hungary's chief negotiator Endre Juhàsz said that even though the Commission agriculture proposal was 'not satisfactory' he expects the new government to push forward with the enlargement process. The EU will reject efforts by Hungary to re-negotiate the terms of its accession agreement on foreign land purchases, the European Commission has warned. |
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| Countries / Regions | Hungary |
