"More than 80 percent of them signed agreements that they would invest to bring their technologies and standards in line with EU norms by 2007," Agriculture Ministry state secretary Valeriu Steriu said.
He said hopes hang on funds of around 350 million euros (US$438 million), earmarked under the EU's SAPARD program, a scheme designed to help candidates streamline their agriculture, to be spent on modernizing Romanian farms until the end of the next year.
Steriu said 150 new farms will be built under the scheme.
His faith does not extend to the remote farms in Romania, neither does the European money.
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