Food supply programme to the Russian Federation

OBJECTIVE: to establish a programme to supply agricultural products to the Russian Federation. CONTENT: the objective of this Regulation is to supply Russia with quantities of cereals, rice, beef and skimmed milk powder from Community intervention stocks and with quantities of pigmeat bought on the open market, for a total amount of EUR 400 million budgeted in the supplementary and amending budget 1998 under the EAGGF-Guarantee Section (agreement concluded on 24 November 1998 between the two arms of the budgetary authority; see ?fiche de procédure? BUD0099). Appropriations which have not been used at the end of 1998 should be the subject of a carryover to the 1999 financial year. This supply programme is in response to a formal request for food aid transmitted by the Russian government 12 November 1998. On the basis of the Russian request for food, the Commission has submitted a proposal to the Council as a matter of urgency. The proposal is based on Article 43 of the EC Treaty. The Regulation proposes the basic conditions for the operation, especially the free supply of the following products: 1 000 000 tonnes of common wheat of breadmaking quality, 500 000 tonnes of rye of breadmaking quality, 50 000 tonnes of milled rice, 150 000 tonnes of beef carcasses, 100 000 tonnes of pig carcasses, 50 000 tonnes of skimmed milk powder. As far as control of the execution of the programme is concerned, the Commission considers that it does not have the capacity to exercise control inside the Russian Federation. However, the Russian Federation has undertaken to ensure that the operation runs smoothly and to take appropriate measures to ensure a proper execution of the programme. The Commission will call on outside technical assistance for monitoring, auditing, control and evaluation, including on the territory of the Russian Federation. However, it emphasises the risks inherent in this type of operation. It is therefore for Russia to monitor the execution of the programme and to distribute the aid to the population in need in a number of specified regions, in accordance with the Russian plan regarding the execution of the programme. A Memorandum of Understanding has therefore been initialled with the Russian Federation which, in addition to rules regarding the operational part and the parties? responsibilities, includes certain provisions and conditions to ensure that the programme is correctly executed. Russia will be required to prepare regular reports on the execution of the programme. If the Commission receives evidence which gives it reason to doubt the Russian obligations, it may decide purely and simply to suspend the operation.�