The European Union's new members will have to wait 10 years before they are granted full access to the bloc's huge farm budget under plans to be unveiled by the European Commission this week, Reuters reported, citing documents obtained Sunday. According to them the Commission wants to offer a 10-year phase-in for direct payments to farmers in candidate countries, rising from a starting level of 25% of amounts existing EU states currently receive. Farming promises are said to be one the thorniest issues in the whole enlargement process, with many candidates wanting full access to the EU's EUR 40 BLN a year farm budget immediately on joining. The plans are to be released officially on January 30. They will regulate relations among existing member governments on what terms to offer the candidates.The document, drawn up by EU Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler and EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen, also proposes three annual 5% increases in direct aid, with the size of the annual increment after that left open. Some 10 countries -- Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Cyprus and Malta -- are hoping to conclude negotiations by the end of this year, in time to join in 2004. Bulgaria and Romania hope to join later in the decade.