CELEX: 51973PC1551
Language: en
Date: 1973-09-11
Title: PROPOSAL OF THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL EMERGENCY FOOD AID FOR PAKISTAN, INDIA AND ETHIOPIA

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (73) 1551
Vol. 1973/0268
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                   COM ( 73 ) 1551 final
                                              Brussels , 11 September 1973
                     PROPOSAL OF THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL
                     EMERGENCY FOOD AID FOE PAKISTAN , INDIA AND
                                   ■ ETHIOPIA
                                                                 /
   COM ( 73 ) 1551 final
 ---pagebreak---                                                                    VHI/949/73-E
I* Emergency food aid for Pakistan                           .
   ( a)       Pakistan Governments request and "the flood toll
              In two letters received, on ^ 2S> August , and further
              communications received on 5 September , the Pakistan
              Government requested the Community to supply emergency
              food aid for the victims of the floods which occurred
              in Pakistan at the end of August .
              The Pakistan Government requests the Community to
              supply the following products in particular !
              ( £ ) as much wheat as can "be shipped during the month
                       of September j
            ( ii ) skimmed milk powder to "be transported "by air to
                       meet the victims * most urgent needs ;
          ( iii )      "butter oil to he delivered within the next few
                       months .  Information received indicates that
                       the situation is particularly serious .          The
                       Pakistan Government estimates the flood toll            '
                       as follows i      more than 300 million dollars'
                       worth of damage , 367 deady over 8 million victims
                       in all , 5 million hectares of crops laid waste, etc .
    .( h)        Food requirements ;
                 As a result of the contacts established by' the
                  Commission with IfflDRO ( United Nations Disaster Relief
               < Office), which is responsible for coordinating aid
                 during the first pha^e of the relief operation, the
         •\       latter supplied the following information ?
                  ( i ) during the first phase of the operation , i.e. until
             r .          the end , of October , the food stocks available on the
                          spot being taken into account , the . following would
                          be neededî:                   - ••
                                      . 150 000- metric tons of wheat' '0
                                           12 000 metric tons of edible , oils
       x              ; '               '..60 000 metric tons of maize      sorghum .
               r ;•                         •■■■  vegetr.bles , •    . ■
                                           3 600 metric tons of . skimmed milk powder
                                                  and' milk products . "+
 ---pagebreak---                                  -2-                   VIII/949/73«E
                                                               ν
  These quantities are calculated on the basis that sone eight
  to ten million people ( four million children for the milk)
  will need to he fed .
 Furthermore , UEDRO points out that those products , in particular
  the oils and skimmed milk powder , are required within the next
  few weeks .
          ( ii) for the second phase of the ^operation , i.e. from
                November 1973 to the end of April 1974* the
                 Pakistan Government has requested !
                       1 000 000 metric tons of wheat
                          27 000 metric tons of edible oils
                          27 000 metric tons of skimmed milk powder
                         500 000 metric tons of vegetables , maize ,
                                  sorghum
 The main offers of aid so far have come from the United States
  ( lOO 000 metric tons of wheat ) and from Canada (80 000 metric
 tons of wheat ) and very probably these quantities vrf.ll be
 available only for the second phase of the operation.           As
 for the first phase , the- World Pood Programme has said it will
 supply 9 543 metric tons of xvheat and 733 metric tons of sugar •
 2•       The Commission 1 s proposais
r
  xn view of the seriousness of the situation the Commission has
 proposed initial emergency food aid in the form of cereals and
  skimmed milk powder , which can be mobilized within a relatively
  short period of time .
  ( a) Since the entire . 1972/73 Reserve, of cereals has been
          exhausted , the Commission proposes that, the 10 000 metric
          tons jbf wheat intended for Pakistan under the 1972/73
          programme as normal food aid but not yet delivered be
        , used as ejaegency aid.. In other words , this fob aid ? which
          would have had to be sold on the local market , should
       • be converted into cif aid to be distributed free of
          charge to the distressed population. In order to
          compensate for the loss in normal aid and to assist
          the distressed population, adequate quantities would,
          consequently, be earmarked for Pakistan in the 1973/74
          aid picigTSJime for cereals .
 ---pagebreak---                                                             VIII/ 949/ 7 3-E
(b ) Aid in the form of' skimmed milk powder would amount to 1 5^0 metric
tons and would be set off against the agreement negotiated with the ICRC
and at present being examined by the Council.' The ICRC , which has been
requested to undertake this assignment , replied in the affirmative but
pointed out that it was not in a position to supervise distribution
since there was no possibility of it being jaslced to do BO by the Pakistan
Government * Thus , it could only hand over the gift to that Government
on behalf of the Community . Under these conditions and pursuant to
Article X of the Agreement , it would be relieved of the obligations
devolving upon it under Articles IV(1 ) and the second indent of Article
VII . It has further been agreed that corresponding quantities would
be returned to the ICRC under the programme shortly to be put before
the Council .
Like the cereals , the skimmed milk powder would be distributed free of
charge to the distressed population and delivered on cif terms . However ,
following the request put forward by the Pakistan Government that the
skimmed milk powder be transported t^y air , the Commission proposes , that
the Council "leave' the Commission the possibility of using this means of
transport for a quantity, not exceeding 200 metric, tons1 . The Commission
would decide .whether this was necessary in the light of requirements
when the operation commences .
II -  Briergenc.y food aid for India
Back/Ground
The floods have also devastated northern India and , according to press
reports ,, caused very extensive damage : several hundred dead , around
10 million victims in all , more than 5 million hectares laid waste . •
However , unlike, the . Pakistan Government , the Indian Government has not
sought international aid , in line with its traditional polioy in this
field .    .. .  .   . ,
Nonetheless , the Commission considers that , for political Eind humanitarian
reasons , the Community should make a spontaneous offer of aid to the
Indian Government , as it has already done in the past in respect of other
countries which have suffered natural disasters .
1
  The transport of 200 metric tons by air would entail additional
  expenditure of - around 200 000 u,a »
 ---pagebreak---                                                         VIIl/949/73~2
If the Indian Government accepted this offer, the aid would
probably "be provided on the basis of a simplified agreement ,
perhaps even solely on the basis of a decision of principle
by the Community to offer a specifio amount of food aid to
the , Indian Government .
( 2 ) The Commission 's proposals
In view of the lack of precise information as to the extent of
requirements , the Commission proposes emergency aid similar to
that planned for Pakistan, namely, 10 000 metric tons of wheat
and 1 500 metric tons of skimmed milk powder ( cif delivery and
distribution free of charge ), which, however, trould only very
partially meet the requirements since the flood victims number
10 million#
The 10 000 metric tons of wheat would be direct aid from the
Community;    this quantity was allocated to the ICRC under the
1971/72 programme and the latter irould agree to leave it at
the Community 's disposal on the understanding that a similar
quantity would be allocated to it under the 1973/74 programme .
The 1 500 metric tons of skimmed milk powder would be handed over
through the ICRC in accordance with the same procedure as that
described for Pakistan and the same quantity would also be
allocated to the ICRC in the next programme for milk products .
III .   Sncrgency food aid for Ethiopia
1«    Background
In its letter of 10 September 1973 the Ethiopian Mission to the
European Communities requested from the Community cereals and skimmed
milk powder as emergency food aid following1 the drought
from which the country has been suffering and which has resulted
in a deterioration in the food situation. The drought has led ,
in particular , to extensive losses of cattle and has made the
 ---pagebreak---                                 -5-                  vril /949 /73-E
 food situation extremely difficult for some 2 000 000 people,
 including several hundred thousand children.
 The Ethiopian Government further requests that a certain
 amount of skimmed mill? powder "be transported urgently, by
 air to meet the most pressing needs .
 2*   The Commissions proposals . .....
 In view of the situation described above the Commission proposes
 that emergency food aid comprising 5 000 metric tons of cereals
' -                 ·                       · Λ
and 120 metric tons of skimmed milk powder be supplied to Ethiopia !
 ( a) the 5 000 metric tons of cereals , which have been made
       available quite recently, would be set off against the
       1972/73 programme . Afghanistan, which should have been
       the recipient of these 5 000 metric tons under the same
       programme , informed the Commission on 7 September that it
       was foregoing the Community ^ offer since the offer was on fob
       terms and not oaf as it had requested and that it preferred to
                                      2
       be supplied with oils and fats .
 (b) The 120 metric tons of skimmed milk powder would be handed
       over by the ICRC , which requested this allocation in the
       agreement recently negotiated with it . As regards the
       transport by air of a certain amount of the total , the
       Council could, as in the case of aid to Pakistan^ leave
       it to the Commission whether to use this means of transport
       for a quantity not exceeding 50 metric tons^ in the light
       of requirements when the operation commences .
   120 metric tons of skimmed milk powder xd.ll feed 100 000 children
 for one month with each child receiving a daily ration of 40 g*
 2
   The agreement concerning the 20 000 metric tons (fob) to b* oupplied
 to Afghanistan under the 1971/72 programme is still being
 negotiated with the Afghan authorities .
 ^The transport by air of 50 metric tons would entail additional
 expenditure of approximately 30 000 u.a.
 ---pagebreak---                              -6-                   VIII/949/73-E
  In accordance with "the practice adopted "by the Community
for executing emergency measures , the Commission would
"begin advance implementation of these op*3rations t that is ,
once the negotiations with the recipient countries had "been
completed and once appropriate arrangements had "been agreed
with the ICRC ,
Finally, the Commission reserves the right to propose that
additional measures he taken in favour of these three
countries within the framework of the programmes of food
aid in the form of cereals and milk products shortly to
"be put before the Council .
 ---pagebreak---                                          νΠΐ/949/73-Ε
              PROPOSAL FOR
           A COUNCIL DECISION
                    rn in M> ir i
on Community financing of certain
expenditure concerning emergency food aid
in the form of cereals for Ethiopia, India
                 and Pakistan
 ---pagebreak---                                                    VIII/949/73-E
THE COUNCIL OP THE EUROPE/HI COEIUIITTIES,
Having regard "to the Treaty establishing the European Economic
Community^
Having regard to Council Regulation ( EEC ) Ho 1703/72 of 3
August '1972 amending Regulation (EEC ) ITo 2052/69 on Community
financing of expenditure arising from the implementation of
the 1967 Food Aid Convention and laying down the rules for
Community financing of expenditure arising from the implementation
of the 1971 Food Aid Convention , and in particular Article VIII(l )
and Article X(l ) thereof ?
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas emergency food aid in the form of cereals should he
offered to Ethiopia following the drought from which that
country has suffered;
Whereas, following the recent floods in India and Pakistan,
emergency food aid in the form of cereals should also he
offered to those countries ;
Whereas , on account of the emergency aid nature of these measures ,
the Community should hear the cost of transport to the ports of
destination;
HAS DECIDID:
                          Sole Article
For the purpose of implementation of the Community emergency
food measures involving 10 000 metric tons of cereals for India
under the 1971 /72 programme , 10 000 metric tons of cereals for
Pakistan under the 1972/73 programme and 5 000 metric tons of
cereals for Ethiopia under the 1972/73 programme , Community
financing shall include the cost of transport of the goods to
the ports of destination .
                                     Done at Brussels .       19–
                                     For the Council
                                     The President