ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(73)344
Vol.1973/0054

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(73)344 final
Brussels ,2March 1973
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TOTHE COUNCIL
onemergency aidforthe countries ofIndochina
Proposal fora
COUNCIL DECISION
ontheCommunity financing ofcertain expenditure
relating tofood aid inrice forthecountries of
Indochina
(submitted totheCouncil bytheCommission )
I
COIï(73 )344final

I.Foodrequirement s
1.Theinformationfirstreceivedfromvarioussourcesindicatesasevere
foodshortageinthecountriesofIndochinaforhundredsofthousands,oreven
severalmillionpersonsdisplacedasaresultofthehostilities .
Therequirements aremainlyforrice,milk,sugarandsalt-products which
willprobablybeinshortsupplyformanymonths.
Italsoappearsthatemergencyaidisurgentlyneededtomeettheimmediate
requirements ofthosepeoples.ThisiswhytheInternational Committee
oftheRedCross,whosetaslcitistoimplementaidofthiskind,haslaunched
anappealtotheCommunityforthegrantingofemergencyfoodaidtobe
distributed bytheICRCunderitsaidprogramme.
Thetele::annexedhereto,sentbytheICRC,specifies,asregardsSouthVietnam^
andtheKhmerRepublic,thekindandquantityofproductsrequiredtomeetthe
verypressingneedsofthepeoplesthere.AsregardsNorthVietnam,needsappear
tobeidenticaltothoseoftheSouth;precisedetailsareawaitedbothon
thispointandontherequirements inLaos.
TheICRChasalsorequestedtheimmediatedeliverybyairtoSaigonof
200metrictonsofskimmedmilkpowderand100metrictonsofpreservedmeat
sincesuppliesareduetorunoutattheendofFebruary.
(1)
vInalatterof20February1973addressedtothePresidentoftheCommission,
theSouthVietnamese GovernmentseeksfoodaidfromtheCommunityfor
refugessandwarvictims(morethanonemillionpersons).

-3-
2»Thegreatestneedofthosepeoplesifexpressedinquantitativeterms,j
isincerealsofwhichthereisaconsiderable shortageineachofthecountries
concerned.
SouthVietnamfsimportneedsinricefor1973areestimatedat5Q0000metric
tons(1);theonlyaidofwhichnotificationhassofarbeenreceivedbeing
200000metrictonsofAmericanaidwhichwillonlypartiallycovertheshortage
asthedeliveryperiodstretchesfrom1July1972to30June1973.
AsregardsthoKhnerRepublic,formallyanexporterofriceandnowalarge-
scale.importer,theimportneedsfor1973areestimatedat250000metrictonsv'
(itisestimatedthatproductionhasfallenfrom2500000metrictonsin
1969/70to1300000metrictonsin1972/73).The.onlyaidofwhichnotification
hassofarbeenreceivedisanAmericancontribution ofJQ000metriotonsof
ricewhichwillcoveronlypartoftheneedsfor1?f3asthedeliveryperiod
stretchesfrom1January1972to30June1973.
InthecaseofITorthVietnamandLaosnofiguresareavailableregardingthe
shortageincerealsfor1973.Itappears,however,thatinthesetwocountries
2productionfalls-shortofneeds.Statisticsoftheirimportsofcerealss
overthepastthreeyearsshowthefollowingpattern;
1968 1969 1.970
ITorthVietnam 335700;312500591800
Laos 379001710030400
SourceiInternational BankforReconstruction andDevelopments WorldGrain
andRiceOutlookfor1973.
^Source:FA0TraA;Yearbook1971•

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II.Community intervention -procedure
1•Products and cruantities
Although theavailable information onemergency needs requires tobe
supplemented ,itseems advisable –foritwill take some time before the
more accurate information requested isreceived -todecide immediately
both onpolitical andhumanitarian grounds ,upon afirst Community intervention !
(1)through theICRC ,inthefollowing amounts :
(i)10000metric tons ofhusked rice (supplied intheform of8251metric
tons ofundemilled rice orof7750metric tons ofmilled rice ),500metric
tons ofskimmed milk powder and200metric tons ofsugar £>reach ofthe
twoVietnams ;
(i.i)5000metric tons ofhusked rice (supplied intheform of4125metric
tons ofundemilled rice or3875metric tons ofmilled rice ),250metric
tons ofskimmed milk powder and100metric tons ofsugar foreach ofthe
other two countries ofIndochina .
This intervention measure would thus involve atotal of:
–30000metric tons ofhusked rice ;
- 1500mctric tons ofskimmed milk powder
~ 600metric tons ofsugar .
2»Transport costs tobemet bythe Community
Inaccordance ivith theusual practioe regarding emergency aid ,thefood would
bedelivered c.i.f .atport ofdestination ,orfree atland frontier inthe
case ofLaos .
Furthermore ,tomeet themost Dressing needs ,consideration should begiven to
thepossibility oftransporting certain quantities ofmilk andsugar byair .
ForSouth Vietnam ,theKhmer Republic andLaos ,thegoods could bedistributed
bythelocal RedCross services with theaid ofICRC delegates .ForNorth
Vietnam ,thegoods would behanded over fordistribution tothelocal RedCross
service which would report back totheICRC ,since thequestion ofintervention
byICRC delegates onNorth Vietnamese territory isstill open .

Sinceitisnotatpresentknownthatgoodsaxetobesentbyearandtowhat
airdestination (exceptfor200metrictonsofskimmedmilkpowderdestined
forSouthVietnam),theCommunitycouldnowadopttheprincipleofair
transportwithinamaximumlimitof,forexample,1000000u.a.,leaving
theCommissionwiththetaskofspecifyingsubsequently ,thequantitiesof
sugarandmi11candtheexactdestinations .
3.Financialchargeofthequantities
The30000metrictonsofricewould,inanticipation ,besetoffagainstthe
foodaidprogrammeforcerealsfor1972/73?
the1500metrictonsofskimmedmilkpowderwouldbedeductedfromthe
quotaof6000mctrictonsmadeavailabletoICRCundertheaidprogramme
for60000metrictonsdecidedon19December1972.
the'600metrictonsofsugar–aproductforwhichneitherageneral
programmenoranagreementwiththeICRCexists-couldbedealtwith
byanadhooCouncilRegulationwhichwouldbeadoptedonthebasisof
proposalsforwardedbytheCommissionon30December1971an&14April
1972(cf«R/8/72andR/782/72)whichprovidedfortheallocationof
2000metrictonsofsugartotheICRC.
4»Mobilization ofthe•products
TheskimmedmilkpowderandthesugarwouldbemobilizedontheCommunity
marketunderthecustomaryprocedure}' *theTicewouldbemobilizedonthe
Communityortheworldmarket-asprovidedforinthemobilization andfinance
regulations–dependingonthesituationexistingonthesemarketsat
thotime-whenthetransactions areeffected.
Forreasonsofurgency,thesewouldtakeeffectassoonasnegotiations with
ICRCarecompletedand,consequently ,withoutwaitingfortheagreementto
besigned.

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PROPOSAL FORA
DECISIOIT OPTHECOU1JCIL
ontheCommunityfinancing
ofcertainexpenditure
relatingtofoodaidin
riceforthecountriesof
Indochina.

-7-
THECOUNCILOH'THEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropeanEconomicCommunity;
HavingregardtoCouncilRegulation(ESC)No1703/72^of3August1972
amendingRegulation(EEC)No2052/69asregardstheCommunityfinancing
ofexpenditurearisingfromtheimplementation ofthe1967FoodAidConvention
andlayingdownrulesfortheCommunityfinancingofexpenditurearisingfrom
theimplementation ofthe197"1PoodAidConvention,andinparticular
Articles8(1)and10(1)thereof;
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission;
Whereasunderthe1972/73programme30000metrictonsofhuskedriceis
allocatedasemergencyfoodaid,totheInternational CommitteeoftheRedCross
fordistribution tothepeoplesdistressedbyeventsinthefourcountries
ofIndochina,andwhereasitappearsthattheCommunityshouldmeetthecosts
oftransporting thegoodstotheriverorseaportofunloading,ortothe
landfrontier,
HASTAKENTHEFOLLOWING DECISION:
SoleArticle
InconnectionwiththeCommunityemergencyfoodaidoperationunderits
1972/73programmeinrespectoftheallocationtotheICRCfordistribution
tothepeoplesdistressedbyeventsinIndochinaof30000metrictonsof
huskedrice,ofwhich10000metrictonsforNorthVietnam,10000metrictons
forSouthVietnam,5000metrictonsforLaosand5000metrictonsforthe
KhmerRepublic,Communityfinancingshallcoverthecostoftransportofthe
goodstotheriverorseaportofunloadinginthecaseofNorthVietnam,
SouthVietnamandtheKhmerRepublic,andtothelandfrontierinthecase
ofLaos.
DoneatBrussels,19•
FortheCounoil
ThePresident
^OJNoL180,8August1972,p.1.