Brussels, 11/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 11 October, the single management committee for the Common Market Organisation (CMO) approved the granting of €500 million in Community funds for the 2013 food distribution programme to the poorer sections of the community. The countries receiving the largest contributions are: Italy, €98.2 million, Spain, €85.6 million, France, €71.3 million and Poland, €76.9 million. It is expected that more than 18 million people in 19 EU member states will benefit from this programme next year. This will be the final year of the programme in its current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) form.
In its proposal for the Multiannual Financial Framework for the period 2014-2020, the Commission has proposed to provide a budget of €2.5 billion for the seven-year period to continue financing EU assistance for the most deprived under Heading I (instead of Heading II) of the EU budget, where it fits more appropriately with the poverty reduction target. The Commission will submit a proposal for shaping the future programme within the social cohesion policy framework, due for publication on October 23.
Successive reforms have led to a much more market-oriented Common Agricultural Policy, with much lower levels of intervention stocks. As a result the scheme was finally revised in 2012 (after a long battle in Council), including the introduction of nutritional considerations measures to make it easier to access products from the open market - to the extent that canned fruit and vegetables, tinned beef and canned tuna can now be included. Indeed, under the 2013 Programme, there are virtually no stocks that will be sourced from public intervention stores. (LC/trans.fl)