Press Release

04/12/2008

Emergency Food Aid passed in record time. Gay Mitchell MEP

The European Parliament today voted through the Regulation for an Emergency Food Aid Facility which was negotiated with the Council and the Commission by Gay Mitchell MEP, a Member of the Development Committee and a Vice-Chairman of the Parliament's delegation to the EU-ACP Assembly.

Fine Gael MEP for Dublin Gay Mitchell was asked to head up this task in July and made his first report to Parliament in August. He said in a statement today:

"The €1 billion to be spent (€870 million this year and next) will go to assist those suffering from rapid increases in food prices in the developing world. Getting approval quickly was necessary in order to meet the March/April 09 planting season."

"The objective is that monies will be spent on seeds, fertilisers, and other means to assist farmers in developing countries as well as emergency food aid. I am disappointed that the original proposal to take this money from the EU agricultural surplus (Heading 2 of Budget) was blocked by both Council and Parliament sources."

"In the final analysis, the monies were secured under other subheadings of the budget (Heading 4 dealing with broad external relations) and the pledge of an additional €240 million Emergency Aid top up from Member States. The manner in which some had to be dragged to agreement contrasts with the ability of the Council to find billions to bail out banks but it was the best deal we could do in these circumstances."

For further information:
Gay Mitchell MEP, Tel: +32-2-28-47228
Majella O Doherty, EPP-ED Press Service, Tel: +32-475-752253

Notes to Editors:
The EPP-ED Group is the largest political group in the European Parliament with 288 Members from all 27 Member States.

Gay Mitchell is a member of the European Parliament's Development Committee and Vice-Chairman of the EP delegation to the EU-ACP (African, Caribbean, Pacific) Assembly