Pools voorzitterschap verwelkomt besluiten over voedselprogramma (en)

The Polish Presidency i welcomed the positive decisions taken yesterday by the Council’s Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) in Brussels and the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development in Strasbourg on the results of the informal trilogue between the Council and European Parliament on 6th December for the food programme for the most the neediest.

The Polish Presidency will launch a political agreement regarding the programme at the next Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 15th December. The agreement of the Council and the Parliament will ensure the continuation of the food distribution programme for the most deprived as part of the CAP in 2012-2013. This will allow charities benefiting from the support system to prepare for the new situation after 2013.

Records of the compromise text envisage retroactive action from 1st January 2012, as the adoption of this regulation will not be possible before the end of this year. Thanks to this, charitable organisations will be able to take full advantage of this programme.

The new rules extend the range of products covered - shopping in the market will be now a regular source of supply for the scheme to complement intervention stocks. The programme also gives preference to products of EU origin.

In addition, the programme will be entirely funded by the EU and will include financing of: transport costs, storage costs and administrative costs directly related to the implementation of the programme.

The annual budget of the programme is EUR 500 million, and some 18 million Europeans benefit annually from the programme.

data publikacji: 14-12-2011