23/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - At the initiative of MEPs Marie-Arlette Carlotti (French Socialist) and Mario Mauro (Forza Italia), with French Socialist Joseph Daul and Belgian Socialist Philippe Busquin, as well as Boguslaw Sonik, a Polish member of the EPP-ED Group, nearly 400 MEPs signed a written declaration on the European programme for aid to the very poor, encouraging the Commission and the Council to launch action that is indispensable for making this programme permanent. It is a programme that has become “vital for millions of Europeans” and it should have multi-annual funding. Food aid must be recognised as a factor allowing poverty to be reduced in the EU, MEPs stress, pointing out that at least 40 million Europeans do not have enough food to eat. The declaration, which exceeds the required number of signatures, 367, has become an official European Parliament position.