Poland set for slap on the wrist over food safety issues

By David Cronin

Date: 30/10/03

POLAND is due to be reprimanded by the European Commission next week for its failure to bring its food safety standards up to those of the EU.

Brussels officials have confirmed that the “monitoring reports”.for the ten mainly ex-communist countries due to join the Union next year will send a “must do better”.message to Poland, the biggest acceding state.

However, an internal debate on the exact message the reports should send will intensify among high-level officials in the coming days. Insiders say the final versions of the reports, due to be adopted on Wednesday (5 November), will try to strike a balanced tone by flanking criticism with praise of the major investments undertaken in Poland and other states to improve their food production facilities.

“None of the acceding states, except Slovenia, are given a carte blanche on food safety,”.an official explained. “For Poland, it will not be the devastating report everyone expects. But it will say that more needs to be done.”

The question of food safety looks to be the most controversial issue addressed. Poland has so far introduced just one of five 'framework' veterinary laws required for EU membership.

About one-fifth of the country's workforce depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, and Poland has been given the highest number of transition periods of all the acceding countries for adapting to EU food safety standards.

Article previews the release on 5 November 2003 of the final round of progress reports on reforms in the ten countries due to join the European Union in May 2004. Poland, the largest acceding country, will be reprimanded for its failure to raise food safety standards to those of the European Union.

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/countries/index_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/countries/index_en.htm

---