WRITTEN QUESTION E-2796/99

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 January 2000)

Subject: The food canning industry and the contribution there of the EU food aid policy

At its June 1998 part-session the European Parliament discussed and adopted an own-initiative report on the fish product canning industry and aquaculture in the European Union (A4-0137/98)(1), in the conclusions to which it requested the Commission to promote the inclusion of Community canned goods in its policy of humanitarian food aid to needy countries, in view of the fact that canning preserves a food's nutritional properties and facilitates the storage and transport thereof.

1. Can the Commission provide information on the action it has taken since the above report was adopted in order to comply with the European Parliament's request?

2. Can the Commission provide information on the total amount allocated under the EU's humanitarian policy in general over the last five years and, in particular, the amount allocated to food aid? What quantities and what percentage of the total amount of food aid are accounted for by EU canned goods? What types of product are involved and which Member States do they come from?

3. Can the Commission provide information on the types of product included in the range of EU food aid, the percentage which each type represents and the distribution thereof by third countries?

(1) OJ C 210, 7.6.1998, p. 295.

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(13 April 2000)

Under Council Regulation No EC 1292/96 of 27 June 1996 on food-aid policy and food-aid management and special operations in support of food security(1) and the code of conduct on food aid agreed with the Member States, food aid is granted on the basis of a specific analysis of needs and is essentially consistent with the food security strategies defined by the beneficiary countries. Account is also taken of local dietary habits and national production systems.

Within this framework, the Commission gives priority to local and triangular purchases (purchases in developing countries other than the beneficiary country) and these purchases represent on average 40 % of total purchases, and are made up principally of cereals (rice, maize, millet) and pulses.

A paper setting out the total value of allocations of food products from 1993 to 1999 has been sent directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat-General.

The Commission takes every possible account of the possibility of sending fish-based canned food products as food aid. However, demand from the beneficiaries is primarily for fresh products.

Another paper setting out the quantities of canned mackerel and sardines allocated over the last few years along with their countries of origin has also been sent directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat-General.

The European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) is responsible principally for supplying emergency aid. Over the last five years the Commission has allocated the following sums to Community humanitarian policy: 1995: 692,1 million, 1996: 656,7 million, 1997: 441,6 million, 1998: 517,7 million and 1999: 812,9 million. TOTAL 1995-1999: 3 121 million.

The beneficiary countries are listed in the paper sent directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat-General.

ECHO operates through the intermediary of non-governmental and international organisations. As regards purchases, Article 16.4 of the framework partnership contract requires humanitarian organisations to give preference to the country of the operation or countries in that region when placing their orders. This way of doing things allows food aid to be supplied at lower prices and also allows better correspondence between the products provided and the dietary habits of the beneficiaries. Article 16.2 of the framework contract also specifies that the humanitarian organisation must take all the necessary steps to ensure that the products are those which best meet local needs and habits.

The food products supplied are often cereals (wheat, maize), oil, rice and pulses. Canned fish is entirely marginal to the food aid supplied by ECHO.

(1) OJ L 166, 5.7.1996.