ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES 
DE LA COMMISSION 
 
 
 
COLLECTION RELIEE DES 
DOCUMENTS "COM" 
 
 
 
 
COM (85) 558 
 
 
 
Vol. 1985/0 203 
  
 
Disclaimer  
Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Communit y and the European Atom ic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), t his file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februa r 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
(ABI. L 243 v om 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit  
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5  
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.  
COMMISSION  
OF THE
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Generai SecretariatC0MC85) 558 f i n a l  
Brussels, 11 O c to b e r 1985
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
R ecom m endation f o r  a 
COUNCIL DECISION
a u t h o r iz in g  th e  C om m ission t o  p a r t ic ip a t e  in  th e  n e g o t ia t io n  o f  th e  
e x te n s io n  o r  re p la c e m e n t o f th e  Food A id  C o n v e n tio n  1980
(s u b m itte d  to  th e  C o u n c il b y  th e  C om m ission)
COMC85) 558 f i n a l

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Summary
1. The life of the Food Aid Convention (F.A.C.) 1980, as already extended,  
will expire on 30.6.86.
2. At its meeting in closed session on 25.6.85 the Food Aid Committee of the  
International Wheat Agreement gave some preliminary consideration as to the  
future of the Convention on its expiry next year.
3. It was agreed that a special meeting of the Food Aid Committee should be
held on 21.10.85 to look at possible ways of improving the current  
Convention.
4. At its next regular meeting in December 1985, the Committee will need to  
agree on any changes in the text in order that the Convention, as amended,  
may come into effect on 1.7.86.
5. The attached draft Decision presented by the Commission to the Council is  
intended to authorize the Commission to participate, with the assistance of  
the 113 Committee, in the coming discussions of the Food Aid Committee  
regarding the negotiation of a further extension to or replacement of the  
Food Aid, Convention 1980.

Introduction
1. The Food Aid Convention 1980 and the Wheat Trade Convention 1971 together  
comprise the International Wheat Agreement 1971. The linkage between the  
two Conventions should be retained.
2. A United Nations Conference to negotiate an International Arrangement to
replace the International Wheat Agreement began in February 1978 and was  
adjourned sine die on 14.2.1979.
3. During the course of this Conference a wide measure of agreement was  
achieved on the terms of a new Food Aid Convention. This led to the  
elaboration of the text of a new Convention, which was formally established
by the Conference open to all members of the Food Aid Committee at a  
meeting held on 6.3.1980.
4. The Food Aid Convention 1980, which came into operation on 1.7.80, had a  
duration of one year. Its life was, however, extended by protocol first  
until 30.6.83 and thereafter until 30.6.86.
5. Since its inception the Food Aid Convention 1980 has functioned to the  
satisfaction of its signatories (1). This being so, the Commission  
considers that it should be extended for a further period, and changes in  
the text should be kept to the minimum in order to avoid the risk of  
embarking on a fresh and prolonged negotiation.
International Food Aid - Article III of the Convention
6. Article III (3) sets out the minimum annual contributions of members of the  
Convention "towards the achievement of the objective of Article I", i.e.  
the provision "of at least 10 million tons of food aid annually to  
developing countries in the form of wheat and other grains suitable for  
human consumption".
7. Minimum contributions of members total 7,612,000 tonnes which includes
1.650.000 tonnes on the part of the Community.
8. Spain is a member of the Convention with a minimum annual contribution of
20.000 tonnes. Portugal is not a member.
(1) Current signatories are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, E.E.C and
its Member States, Finland, Japan, Norway, Spain,  
Sweden, Switzerland, U.S.A.

Food Aid Needs
9. Since the 1980 Convention came into effect not only has the 10 million  
tonne target, established by the World Food Conference in 1974, been  
superseded (the F.A.O. estimates global cereal food aid requirements now  
to be some 20 million tonnes p.a.), but there has also been an increasing  
trend in the needs of the Community's traditional beneficiaries.
10. Over the past 15 years cereal import requirements of low income food  
deficit countries (L.I.F.D.Cs),  particularly those in Africa, have  
increased by approximately 10% per year on avereage. The rate of increase  
accelerated over the years and during the period 1980-85 it was about 20%  
per year.
11. Total cereal import requirements of L.I.F.D.Cs, excluding those which are  
not beneficiaries of cereals food aid (e.g. Afghanistan, China and India),  
amounted to some 20.2 million tonnes in 1981/82 and 29.7 million tonnes in  
1983/4. Requirements for 1984/85 have been estimated by the F.A.O. to be  
35.7 million tonnes.
12. Food aid as a proportion of total cereal imports by L.I.F.D.Cs fell from  
33% in 1981/82 to 28% in 1983/84.
The Community's Food Aid
13. The Community's annual commitment of 1,650,000 is shared between Community  
and Member States on a 56 %/44 % basis: Community - 927,663 tonnes and  
Member States - 722,337 tonnes.
14. During the past years, however, both the Community and Member States have  
exceeded their respective obligations as follows:
(tonnes)
Year Community Member States Total
1980/81
1981/82
1982/83
1983/84
1984/851,127,663 (1)
(2)  1,160,000 (1)927,663
1,000,000
1,001,369
815,863 (1)
1,011,106  (1)762,693
736,328
826,1311,690,356
1,736,328
1,827,500
1,943,526
2,171,106
(1) Not yet delivered in full
(2) Excluding additional aid supplied under the "Dublin Plan"

15. The figures above do not include aid supplied by Spain which has averaged  
about 25,000 tonnes per year between 1982/83 and 1984/85, i.e. some 5,000  
tonnes more than its commitment under the Convention.
16. The totals in paragraph 14, which reveal a steadily rising trend, indicate  
that average food aid provided annually by the Community and Spain over  
the past 3 years has been approximately 2 million tonnes. In view of this  
the Commission is of the opinion that the Community should increase its  
minimum annual F.A.C. contribution to 2 million tonnes, provided other  
donors are also willing to increase theirs.
17. Such a gesture would fit very well into the Community policy on North  
South relations. Although its implementation would at present involve  
little or no additional budgetary costs since the Community as such and  
the majority of Member States are already supplying more aid than their  
present F.A.C. commitment, it would nevertheless constitute a firm  
undertaking to continue to supply aid at this level in the future. (1)
18. The proposed quantity of 2 million tonnes would, of course, include any  
increase, which could reasonably be expected to be made, on account of the  
Community's enlargement by the accession of Spain and Portugal.
19. In the light of the foregoing, the Commission recommends that the Council  
should adopt the attached draft Decision.
(1 ) B ecause o f th e  d i f f i c u l t y  in  e s tim a tin g  f u t u r e  c e r e a l p r ic e s ,  no f in a n c ia l 
s ta te m e n t can be u s e f u l ly  draw n u p . However th e  q u a n t it ie s  in v o lv e d  w o uld 
n o t s u b s t a n t ia ll y  in c r e a s e , t a k in g  in t o  a c c o u n t th e  am ount o f c e re a ls  a id  
a t p re s e n t b e in g  p ro v id e d  o v e r and above th e  Food A id  C o n v e n tio n  com m itm ent.

COUNCIL DECISION
authorising the Commission to participate in the negotiation of the extension  
or replacement of the Food Aid Convention 1980.
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to. the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and  
in particular Article 113 thereof,
Having regard to the Recommendation from the Commission,
Whereas the Community is a party to the Food Aid Convention 198Ô,
Whereas this Convention expires on 30.6.1986,
Whereas it is in the Community's interest that the Convention be extended or  
replaced by a new Convention,
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Sole Article
The Commission is hereby authorized to take part in the negotiations for the  
extension or replacement of the Food Aid Convention 1980.
The Commission shall take part in the negotiations, in consultation with the  
Article 113 Committee, in accordance with the guidelines contained in the  
Annex.
Done at __ For the Council
Th
e President

ANNEX
1. The link between the Food Aid Convention and the Wheat Tr$de Convention  
should be retained.
2. As far as possible no changes should be made in the text of the present  
Convention.
3. The Community's existing contribution of 1,650,000 tonnes in Article III  
(3) should be increased to a figure not exceeding 2,000,000 tonnes  
depending on the response of other donors.
4. The present division of the Community's contribution between Member States  
(44 %) and Community (56 %) should be retained.
5. The Food Aid Convention 1980 should be further extended for such period as  
the Wheat Trade Convention 1971 is extended or for the duration of a new  
Wheat Trade Convention replacing it.