The second annual financial agreement on pre-accession SAPARD programme was signed in Brussels February 19 by Finance Minister Milen Velchev, the Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Mehmed Dikme and EU Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler. During his visit in Brussels Minister Velchev discussed the reforms in the Bulgarian Customs with experts from the European Commission as well as Bulgaria’s progress in EU negotiations. Agriculture Minister demanded for equal chances of EU entry at the conference of agriculture ministers of the EU aspirants and member states, which opened in Brussels on February 18. If the financial framework of the European Union's enlargement leaves out Bulgaria, Bulgaria’s opportunities for accelerated economic growth will be badly hit, he said. Minister Dikme expressed fears that in these circumstances Bulgaria will loose to a great extent its competitiveness on the enlarged EU market, the reasons being the different funding of agriculture and infrastructure, as well as the remaining customs barriers to Bulgarian exports.

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