Press Release: Enlargement and agriculture: Summit adopts fair and tailor-made package which benefits farmers in accession countries

Heads of State and Government from the European Union and ten candidate countries reached agreement on a formula for enlarging the EU to encompass ten new Member States in 2004. Following the decision of the Copenhagen Summit in December 2002, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia can join the EU on 1 May 2004. The new Member States will receive a rural development package which is specifically adapted to their requirements and has more favourable conditions than those applied to the present EU Member States.