Brussels, 29/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - Although the European Commission still needs time to develop a model that is both “realistic and effective”, it intends to propose including the Community food distribution programme to the poorest members of society in the legislative package for the next cohesion policy. This announcement was made by Commissioner Olli Rehn (economic and monetary affairs) to MEPs at their plenary session on Thursday 29 March.
Funding for this programme will no longer be guaranteed from 2014 or at least not in its current form. Although a compromise was found for 2012 and 2013, the programme will be definitively dismantled afterwards as it can no longer be maintained within the CAP, due to a ruling by the EU Court of Justice (see EUROPE 10359). The programme has in fact become a regular source of food for more than 18 million European citizens. Rehn says that the social character of this programme is obvious, not only in a context of economic crisis but also because “there will always be people in our societies in need of such a type of programme”. This is why “it also fits more appropriately with the poverty reduction target of the EUROPE 2020 strategy” and could depend in future on the European Social Fund. The Commission is therefore examining “various options for shaping the future programme within the cohesion policy framework in a way that maximises the impact of the support that the various cohesion policy funds can deliver”, explains the commissioner. During the debate, all the MEPs welcomed the compromise for the 2012-2013 period and a proposal to maintain the programme as part of the 2014 2020 financial framework. Pervenche Berès (S&D, France) indicated that the Commission could count on the definite support of the European Council for the initiative it was proposing for keeping the food aid programme alive, but on condition that this is done with a corresponding increase in the European Social Fund. Marian Harkin (ALDE, Ireland) expressed her concern that a compromise could be blocked at a Council of the EU level, which would subsequently threaten the future of the European Social Policy. This fear was also shared by Marije Cornelissen from the Greens, who underlined the need to quickly develop a clear idea regarding the future of the programme so that the food banks could prepare themselves for any possible situation that arose in 2014. (JK/transl.fl)