WRITTEN QUESTION P-1478/97 by Eva Kjer Hansen (ELDR) to the Commission (24 April 1997)

Subject: Critical report on EU food aid

A team of economists and aid experts from EU Member States and a number of developing countries has drawn up a report on programme food aid entitled 'Evaluation Report. Joint Evaluation of European Union Programme Food Aid. 1996'. The report is the outcome of the first joint evaluation of EU aid and was partly financed by the Commission. The team of experts has concluded that the EU's 'programme food aid' is not effective enough and is too costly. The report therefore proposes either gradually phasing out programme food aid in certain countries or introducing radical reforms to boost effectiveness.

Will the Commission comment on the criticisms set out in the report and on the consequences which the above report on programme food aid will have for future food aid from the Community?

What specific initiatives will it be taking to boost the effectiveness of aid and when are these changes expected to take place?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission (2 June 1997)

The Commission is well aware of the outcome of the evaluation of Community programme food aid, which covered the period 1989-1994, and focused on national actions of Member States and on Community actions organised by the Commission. The Commission participated actively in this first joint evaluation of one instrument of Community development co-operation, and welcomes such analysis.

It should be underlined that the Commission can only respond to conclusions and recommendations that concern Community actions. Follow-up that Member States may wish to give to the joint evaluation is entirely a matter for them, except where co-ordination is concerned.

In anticipation of final reports, and also in response to other evaluations of food aid operations, the Commission already took to heart the outcome of the evaluation, and embarked on a major restructuring of its food aid to make it a more effective instrument for supporting food security. As a result, the Commission proposed a new framework regulation on food aid and food security support actions to overhaul previous regulations in this field ((Council Regulation (EC) No 1292/96 of 27 June 1996 on security - OJ L 166, 5.7.1996. )). The Parliament, through its committee on development and cooperation and on the basis of Mr Telkämper's report, played a very important and constructive role in the legislative process.

food-aid policy and food-aid management and special operations in support of food In many of the areas which were, according to the evaluation, in need of improvement, fundamental changes were introduced which have a substantial impact on the effectiveness of the operations. Triangular operations and local purchases were increased substantially, while in some situations a financial facility can be made available instead of commodity aid. The monetisation of food aid has become the norm and the integration of food aid with activities financed under the European development fund (EDF) indicative programmes is further emphasised.

Other initiatives of the Commission, in search of greater effectiveness, concern the area of co-ordination, in the first place between Community and Member States, but certainly also with other main donors. To that end, a workshop was organised in April 1996 to look into major world food security challenges. This brought together all major donors and a range of multilateral organisations. A second seminar is envisaged later in 1997.

Member States have already expressed support for the initiative to prepare a code of conduct for food aid, in a context of food security. In the Commission's view, there is a overriding need to improve donor co-ordination, while existing mechanisms to that end are partial and insufficient.