EUROPE: Prospects for the winter grain crops are uncertain due to adverse weather, with planting in parts of the EC disrupted by excessive rainfall. By contrast, in most eastern European countries dry weather persists and soils are too dry for good crop establishment. Cereal production in 2000 in the EC, CIS countries west of the Urals and the Baltics is forecast to increase compared to last year. In contrast, in the Balkans, spring production was sharply reduced due to hot/dry conditions.