WRITTEN QUESTION E-0942/96 by Maartje van Putten (PSE) to the Commission (26 April 1996)

Subject: Food aid tenders for tinned fish

1. a) Is it true that in accordance with Commission rules only tinned fish packed in 125 g units is eligible for food aid tenders for this product?

b) If so, where are these rules set out?

c) Why exactly did the Commission choose this packaging unit?

d) If the information in a) is not correct, what guidelines does the Commission use for packaging units when these tenders are awarded, and where are these criteria set out?

2. a) Can the Commission give an overview of tenders for the purchase of tinned fish which have been published since 1 January 1991 as part of the emergency and food aid policy?

b) Which firm was awarded the supply contract for each tender?

3. Is the Commission aware that the 125 g packaging unit is used mainly in Spain and Portugal, while Ireland and the Netherlands, for example, use a 400 g unit?

4. a) Is the Commission aware that buying in larger packaging units can result in a considerable cost saving (of 45% per metric tonne, for example, if 400 g units are used rather than 125 g units)?

b) Can the Commission comment on this cost aspect in its reply to question 1.c)?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission (20 June 1996)

Before turning to the specific questions the Commission would draw the Honourable Member's attention to the fact that for the three years 1993, 1994 and 1995 canned fish accounted on average for no more than about 0.80% by value of the annual food aid budget. It is in fact declining in importance as a food aid product both because it is too expensive and because the volume of aid devoted to UNRWA, to which most of the canned fish goes, is shrinking. In any case, the new food aid regulation currently up for adoption before the Council will allow products from any developing country to compete for the first time.

1. (a)-(b) As a rule it is up to the recipient of food aid to decide on the type of presentation. The 125 g tin is standard for these products and was therefore specifically provided for by the Community legislator in the communication dealing with the requirements for packing and preservation of products supplied as food aid ((OJ C 114, 29.4.1991 )).

(c) There are several reasons why recipients prefer the standard can:

- ease of distribution: one can (or sometimes two) represents an appropriate ration for one person;

- hygiene: a 400 g tin is too much for a ration and cannot be eaten by one person at a sitting, which means problems either with distribution or with storage. In some climates the food could spoil very quickly.

(d) See answers to 1(a) and (b).

2. (a)-(b) A table setting out information about the 1993-95 food aid programmes is being sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat. The Commission would point out that the existence of the single market and the features of this specific sector mean the origins shown are purely indicative.

3. Spain and Portugal tend to specialize in sardines, whereas the characteristic Irish or Netherlands product is canned mackerel, which is not much in demand as food aid.

4. (a) Unit cost depends on the type of fish (sardine, mackerel, etc.), the presentation and the type of packing required by the recipient. Obviously, the lower packing and handling costs of the 400 g cans do mean lower prices, but the recipient's desiderata regarding presentation, reflecting requirements of distribution, take precedence.

(b) The Commission in any case invariably takes the cost aspect into account, issuing invitations to tender for the supply of food aid and selecting the lowest bid complying with the quality and presentational specifications laid down in the call for tenders.