WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1026/96 by Heidi HAUTALA to the Commission. Alternatives to food aid
Date: 1996-05-03
Institutions: European Parliament, HAUTALA
Subjects: EU aid, accession to the European Union, aid to disadvantaged groups, food aid, intervention stock, poverty, social policy, voluntary organisation













EUR-Lex - 91996E1026 - EN






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91996E1026

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1026/96 by Heidi HAUTALA to the Commission. Alternatives to food aid  


Official Journal C 305 , 15/10/1996 P. 0039 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1026/96 by Heidi Hautala (V) to the Commission (3 May 1996)Subject: Alternatives to food aidThe first instalments of food aid have been received in the new Member States. In these countries many people live below the poverty line as a result inter alia of mass unemployment and over-indebtedness. However, it has given rise to astonishment that the sending of food could be the best and most effective way of caring for poverty. Food aid has been considered of its very nature to be one-sided and ill-adapted to local traditions. It is not enough to argue that 'markets' have to be found for the food surpluses generated by the common agricultural policy.Does the Commission propose to modernize its social policy by seeking alternatives to traditional food aid?Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (10 June 1996)During the particularly harsh winter of 1986/87, at a time when considerable quantities of farm products were in public storage, the Commission arranged for products from intervention stocks to be supplied free of charge to the very poor for a limited period, via a number of charities selected by the Member States.The measure was judged successful and there were numerous calls for a permanent scheme to be established on the same lines. The Commission accordingly submitted a proposal for a legal basis which became Council Regulation (EEC) No 3730/87 ((OJ L 352, 15 December 1987. )); there was also a Commission implementing regulation, since replaced by Regulation (EEC) No 3149/92. ((OJ L 313, 30 October 1992. ))Each year since 1988 the Commission has adopted a plan providing in detail for the distribution of products from intervention stocks in the Member States. Under Commission Decision 95/424/EC, ((OJ L 253, 21 October 1995. )) ECU 200 million is available for this year's plan. The products specified match the requirements stated by Member States on the basis of requests from national charities. The rules allow distribution not only of processed intervention products themselves but of products within the same 'family' e.g. pasta rather than oats, so the range of food available is not too restricted.Although the scheme was originally set up on social grounds it comes under the common agricultural policy, and Council Regulation (EEC) No 3730/87 envisaged it continuing until stock levels returned to normal levels. Intervention stocks are now low to non-existent, and therefore, at the request of a number of Member States, backed by Parliament, the legal basis has been amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 2535/95 ((OJ L 260, 31 October 1995. )) and Commission Regulation (EC) No 267/96 ((OJ L 36, 14 February 1996. )) to enable a particular product to be bought on the market if it is not available from intervention stocks. In this case the products are not exchanged with intervention products.This scheme has, in any case, undoubtedly proved popular with charities.