"The common agricultural policy and enlargement: opportunities and perspectives"

14-16 March 2004, Sofia

The conference built on the success of two agricultural information conferences for candidate countries, in Riga and Prague in 2002. Subjects treated in these conferences included: The common agricultural policy - EU enlargement: state of negotiations on agriculture - Agriculture and enlargement: the Irish experience - The perspective of the European Parliament - Sapard Funds - Rural development measures - Market perspectives within the framework of enlargement - The agriculture information tools in the EU.

As previously, the Sofia conference brought together leading representatives from the following sectors: agricultural NGO's, co-operatives, industries, consumer groups, environmental groups, universities and media, as well as government representatives.

Speeches and presentations

Welcome by Plamen Mollov, Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries at the Bulgarian Parliament [pdf]

Intervention by John Malone, Secretary General, Department of Agriculture and Food/An Roinn Talmhaíochta agus Bia, Ireland [pdf]

"CAP Reform and EU Enlargement - The future of European Agricultural Policy" by Dirk Ahner, Deputy Director-General, European Commission, Agriculture Directorate-General  [pdf]

"The enlargement process - lessons learned" by Dirk Lange,, European Commission, Enlargement Directorate-General  [pdf]

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"Perspectives for agricultural markets in the enlarged European Union", presentation by Wolfgang Münch, European Commission, Agriculture Directorate-General [pdf]

"Key issues in the agricultural enlargement negotiations", presentation by John McClintock, European Commission, Agriculture Directorate-General [pdf]

"The Sapard instruments on the eve of accession'", presentation by Alan Wilkinson, formerly European Commission, Agriculture Directorate-General [pdf]

"Rural development measures", presentation by Jean-Michel Courades , European Commission, Agriculture Directorate-General [pdf]

"WTO/trade liberalisation", presentation by Robert Norris, European Commission, Agriculture Directorate-General [pdf]

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Closing intervention by Mehmed Dikme, Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture and Forestry [pdf]

Closing address by Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Prime Minister of Bulgaria (presented by his Head of Cabinet) [pdf]

Closing speech by Franz Fischler, Member of the European Commission responsible for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries  [pdf]

Programme of the conference [pdf]

Corrigenda / Addenda [pdf]