§ Denzil DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate has been made of the annual cost to the CAP budget of paying to(a) Poland and (b) the other accession candidate countries, one-quarter of the value of direct payments normally made to EU farmers. [35320]
§ Peter HainThe Commission recently presented a framework paper for financing EU enlargement up to 2006. The framework includes a proposal to phase-in direct payments for new member states at a starting level of 25 per cent. in 2004 rising to 35 per cent. in 2006. For the period 2004–06, the Commission estimate the cost of this to be euro 2.6 billion for up to 10 new member states. No estimate of the cost for individual member states is given.