CELEX: 51981PC0362
Language: en
Date: 1981-07-03
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the allocation of food aid in cereals to Madagascar and Mauritius (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (81) 362
Vol. 1981/0113
 ---pagebreak--- Disclaimer
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                  COM(81)362 final
                                                 Brussels , 3 July 1981
                              Proposal for a
                             COUNCIL DECISION
              on the allocation of food aid in cereals to
                         Madagascar and Mauritius
              ( submitted to the Council by the Commission )
                                                              /
                                             0 Jy ■
                                             lìl -               *  i Zi
                                                     u. c           i
COM ( 81 ) 362 final
 ---pagebreak---  Introduction
       Consequent upon natural disasters ( cyclones , drought ) tJie
Commission has received requests for food aid from Madagascar
and Mauritius .
                      *
       The Commission hereby proposes to the Council that the
following food aid be allocated :
- 6 000 tonnes of cereals to Madagascar
- 2 000 tonnes of cereals to Mauritius .
       This aid is to be charged against the general reserve under
the 1981 food aid programme and delivered to the FOB stage .
       The estimated cost of the operations is   1 350 000 ECU for
the aid to Madagascar and   392 000 ECU in the case of the aid to
Mauritius .                   ,
 ---pagebreak---                                                                          1.
A. Madagascar
            As a result of a drought affecting the plateau region of
   the Democratic Republic of Madagascar , notably the area around
   Lake Alaotra, the country has recently asked the Commission
   for         food aid in the form of   30 000 tonnes of rice and
   20 000 tonnes of flour .
            Between October 1980 and February 1981 , the crucial period
   for rice planting , less than 60% of the normal amount of rain fell ,
   with the result that production was cut by half in the region
   concerned , which is the main rice-growing area , sending close on
   100 000 tonnes to Antanarivo each year .
            As a result of the poor crop , Madagascar 's rice imports ,
   which have been very high for the last two years , will probably
   exceed 200 000 tonnes this year , and this will place an intolerable
   burden on the country 's slender foreign currency reserves . With a
   view to partiaily remedying this situation , the Malagasy
   Government proposes to import seeds of fast-growing varieties ,
   which will make it possible for some rice to be grown out of
   season .
            Nevertheless , there will be a substantial cereal shortfall
   and the Commission considers that it would be advisable to make
   available to Madagascar a certain quantity of cereals in the form
   of rice from the reserves earmarked under
   the 1981 food aid programme .
 ---pagebreak---                                                                             2.
           It should be pointed out that under the 1981 food aid programme
   15 000 tonnes of unprocessed cereals is set aside for Madagascar ,
                                 /
   which is around    5 000 tonnes rice equivalent . The Commission considers
   that the country should be' given additional aid in the form
   of 6 000 tonnes of unprocessed cereals , equivalent to around      2 000
   tonnes of rice , to be delivered CIF .                       '
B. Mauritius
                             * '
           The cyclones which hit Mauritius in 1980 caused major damage to
   agriculture as well as to buildings and services . Efforts to re-seed
   or re-plant were nullified by successive cyclones and floods . The
   country 's low foreign currency reserves had to be used to pay for
   imports of the most essential foodstuffs . The result has been a
   worsening of the payments imbalance , so that now the Mauritian
   Government is without the means to pay for traditional cereal imports .
           When drawing up the 1981 food aid programme , the Commission
   looked at the preceding years commercial imports and decided that it
   was not necessary to propose food aid in the form of cereals .
   However , in view of the country 's dwindling foreign exchange reserves as
   a result of the sjccessive natural disasters the Community should respond
   more favourably to the request for emergency aid from the Mauritian
   Authorities .
                                                                    ./.
 ---pagebreak---                                                                            3.
          accordingly , the Commission considers that the Community should
   make available to Mauritius food aid iri the form of 2 000
   tonnes of cereals from the reserve under the 1981 programme , so as to
   cover part of the needs of this country , which in normal times imports
   around 63 000 tonnes of wheat .
                        ν
C. Conclusion
          The Commission proposes that the Council decide :
   - to make available to the Democratic Republic of Madagascar a quantity
     of 6 000 tonnes of cereals for sale on the local market ;
   - to make available to Mauritius a quantity of 2 000 tonnes for sale on
     the local market ;
   - to cover the costs of transporting this aid to the FOB stage .
          The quantities in question are to be charged against the general
   reserve under the 1981 food aid programme-
 ---pagebreak---                                  Proposal for a
                               £QyN£IL_DE£ISION
                on- the allocation of food aid in cereals to
                           Madagascar and Mauritius
 I
The Council of the - European Communities ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Commu­
nity and in particular Article 113 thereof ,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ,
                                         1
Whereas by its Decision 81 /.. ./ EEC the Council , in the context of the
1981 cereals food aid programme , reserved certain quantities for emer
gency operations and other unforseen situations ;
Whereas a certain quantity is still available under that reserve ;
Whereas the Community has received certain requests for emergency
food aid ;
Whereas the Community should respond favourably to those requests ,
     > decided ;               *                          '
                                  Sole_Arti.c le
Emergency food aid in cereals from the reserve of the 1981 programme
shall be allocated as follows :                             »
( 1 ) 0J
 ---pagebreak---                - 2 -
S££2Q2§Q£             ^£2. D6tiy0ry terms
Madagascar ■    6 000          F0B
Mari ti us   .  2 000          F03
                           Done at Brussels
                           For the Council
                           The President