Wide in scope, with an increased co-financing rate, and including food donations, the new Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) in 2014-2020 will be maintained at €3.5 billion- the same figure as in 2007-2013, What’s interesting from a public health perspective is the fund’s support to measures contributing to a healthy diet – a dimension supported for by the European Public Health Alliance.
The new fund’s budget for 2014-2020 will be maintained at €3.5 billion, the amount currently allocated to the European Food Aid Programme to the Most Deprived for 2007-2013 (governed by DG Agriculture and Rural Development; coming to an end in December 2013).
The new programme governed by DG Employment and Social Inclusion is intended to replace the Food Distribution Programme, which was designed to use up food surpluses produced under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Besides food distribution, it is to provide basic material assistance and aid social inclusion measures for the most deprived citizens of the European Union in all member states.
Particularly with regards to the food distribution, the regulation clearly speaks of aiding food donations (collection, transportation and retailing) from a food waste-reductionist point of view. It seems also that some provisions were made to “support measures contributing to a healthy diet“.
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Next steps
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This informal deal still has to be endorsed by Member States’ permanent representatives (COREPER) and the Employment Committee as a whole before going to plenary.
The Members of the European Parliament involved in the process are: Employment and Social Affairs Committee Chair Pervenche Berès (S&D, FR), and Parliament’s rapporteur for the FEAD, Emer Costello (S&D, IE).
– European Parliament Press Release of 28 November 2013
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