Food aid policy: management and support of food security

PURPOSE: to present a proposal for a Council Regulation amending Article 21 of Council Regulation 1292/96/EC on food-aid policy and food-aid management and special operations of food security. CONTENT: The aim of this proposal is to amend Council Regulation 1292/96/EC of 27.06.1996 on food-aid and food-aid management and special operations in support of food security, in order to bring Article 21 of the Regulation into line with Article III of the new Food Aid Convention 1999 (approved by Council Decision 2000/421/EC of 13 June 2000). The proposed amendments to the Regulation are the following: - the Council, acting on the basis of qualified majority voting, shall determine the Community share of the overall amount of aid, either in tonnes of wheat equivalent or in value or in a combination of tonnage and value, laid down by the Food Aid Convention as the total contribution of both the Community and its Member States; - the Commission shall coordinate the operations of the Community and the Member States as regards the supply of cereals aid under the Food Convention and shall ensure that the total contribution by the Community and its Member States is at least as high as the quantities provided for in the said aid Convention.�