WRITTEN QUESTION No. 500/96 by Spalato BELLERE' to the Commission. Food aid for destitute people in the European Community
Date: 1996-03-01
Institutions: BELLERE, European Parliament
Subjects: EU Member State, Eurostat, aid programme, distribution of aid, enlargement of the Union, food aid, intervention stock, poverty













EUR-Lex - 91996E0500 - EN






Avis juridique important




|



91996E0500

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 500/96 by Spalato BELLERE' to the Commission. Food aid for destitute people in the European Community  


Official Journal C 217 , 26/07/1996 P. 0058 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-0500/96 by Spalato Belleré (NI) to the Commission (1 March 1996)Subject: Food aid for destitute people in the European CommunityGiven that the European Union allocated the sum of ECU 200m to the programme for food aid for deprived persons under EEC Regulation No 2535/95 ((OJ L 260, 31.10.1995 p. 3. )) which,- since Germany renounced its share, was divided between eleven Member States,does the Commission consider that it would be appropriate to increase the funds earmarked for that purpose for 1996 to take account of the new EU Member States (Austria, Sweden and Finland) and, in particular, the needs of the poorest Member States and those with high levels of unemployed and deprived citizens?Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (26 March 1996)During the particularly harsh winter of 1986/87 the Community set up an emergency programme which provided for the free supply of food over a limited period of time to the most deprived persons in the Community.As a result of this experience, the Community received many calls for it to implement a more permanent programme of this type. Following a proposal by the Commission, the Council adopted Regulation (EEC) No 3730/87, ((OJ L No 352, 15.12.1987. )) amended by Regulation (EC) No 2535/95, ((OJ L No 260, 31.10.1995. )) laying down the general rules for the supply of food from intervention stocks to designated organizations for distribution to the most deprived persons in the Community, and an implementing regulation. ((Replaced by Regulation (EEC) No 3149/92 - OJ L No 313, 30.10.1992, last amended by Regulation (EEC) No. 267/96 - OJ L No 36, 14.2.1996. ))Every year since 1988 the Commission has adopted a plan, broken down by Member State, using products from intervention stocks. Participation by Member States is optional. The appropriations of funds for these annual plans totalled ECU 100 million in 1988 and 1989, ECU 150 million from 1990 to 1993, ECU 175 million in 1994 and ECU 200 million in 1995. Eleven Member States took part in 1995. The new Member States were unable to participate as the implementation period began on 1 October 1994, prior to their accession.The Commission adopted the 1996 plan in its Decision of 18 October 1995 (95/424/EEC). ((OJ L No 253, 21.10.1995. )) All the new Member States could participate, but only Finland committed itself. Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and the United Kingdom decided not to.The total funds available for 1996, in other words ECU 200 million, were divided up between 10 Member States, with the Commission taking into account the most up-to-date statistics from Eurostat on the assessment of poverty in the Community, as well as requests from charities and the use of the funds in previous years. Changes in statistics on poverty and the fact that the United Kingdom is no longer taking part have meant a change in the allocation of the funds in comparison with previous years.