Food aid policy: management of EC food aid and special operations in support of food security in developing countries

Commissioner PINHEIRO stated that aid should be more flexible and that there should be a better balance between traditional aid measures and support for production. The new political framework for food aid therefore placed particular emphasis on the need to combine structural food aid, triangular operations and operations on the ground. It was also important to provide support for the rehabilitation of agricultural products and to facilitate access by the poorest groups to production centres. The Commission and Parliament were in agreement on the main points. However, the Commission could not take over Amendments Nos 25 (on commercial food imports), 29 (doing away with preparatory studies and training schemes for staff in the developing countries in question), 31, 32 and 33 (as the Commission felt that triangular operations were more effective than bilateral operations), and 48 (as the Commission felt the evaluation report should be sent to the Council rather then the Food Aid Committee). The Commission also rejected Amendment No 50 because a more flexible management system was required, and Amendment No 51 because the information it covered had already been provided.