Evolution of the european union's assistance to polish rural areas and agriculture in the period preceding accession - expectations and results

摘要

The article describes the evolution of the European Union's assistance to the Polish agricultural sector granted within the Phare Programme in the 1990s. The evolution of the Phare Programme of assistance is presented in the context of the sector's needs connected with restructuring and modernisation, and also in the context of requirements imposed by the adjustment process. The latter element appeard in the Phare Programme following the EU summit held in Copenhagen in 1993 and became a priority after the Programme's reorientation announced within the Agenda 2000 in 1997. The authors describe the main ideas of the EU. "Partnership for Membership" document defining the scope of assistance in the period preceding Poland's accession to the European Union, and discuss the contents of the "National Programme Preparing Poland for Membership of the European Union" in its part relating to agriculture. Against this background the authors of the article present the instruments proposed by the EU to support countries aspiring to EU membership in the period preceding accession. Special attention is given to the SAPARD programme. In the context of the need to form a new institutional system of the implementation of preaccession assistance the authors present the experience of the Foundation for Assistance Programmes to Agriculture (FAPA) gained during the implementation of the Phare Programme and other ventures launched to support the development of rural areas, agriculture and the food economy in Poland. The authors of the article stress in particular the experience and skills gained by people working for FAPA, recognising them as a unique achievement of the Phare Programme in building institutions in countries applying for EU membership.