AK. whereas the increasing poverty in the EU is currently being exacerbated by the economic and financial crisis and by soaring food prices in the context of almost inexistent food surpluses in the EU, and whereas 43 million people are currently at risk of food poverty; whereas the scheme for food distribution to the most deprived persons in the Union, set up in 1987, currently provides food aid for 13 million people suffering from poverty in 19 Member States, and whereas its distribution chains involve some 240 food banks and charities; whereas the recent Judgment T-576/08 of the European ...[+++] Court of Justice, which deems it illegal to purchase food for the scheme on the market, jeopardises EU food aid for the most deprived, given the scheme’s increased dependency on market purchases, and whereas it appears that the ECJ’s annulment of Article 2 of Regulation 983/2008 will have an immediate negative impact on the scheme in 2012 and the years to come, leading to an abrupt end to food aid for the most deprived citizens of 19 Member States;

Together with the Federation of Food Banks, Secours populaire, the Red Cross and Restos du Coeur in France, I am concerned about the future of this programme after the European Court of Justice called into question its funding within the framework of the CAP.

It has the support of the European Parliament, the Finnish EU Presidency, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Banking Federation, the European Economic and Social Committee and some of the world’s leading blue-chip companies.

The decline in the quantities made available to the Belgian Federation of Food Banks is due to the fact that the Belgian authorities divided up the food available differently from in previous years.

According to an article in the Flemish newspaper De Standaard (16 January 2003), the Belgian Federation of Food Banks nevertheless received 750 tonnes less food from the European Union in 2002 than it did the previous year.

Sectoral organisations with no cross-industry affiliation - Eurocommerce - COPA/COGECA - EUROPECHE - Association of European Cooperative Insurers, AECI - International Association of Insurance and Reinsurance Intermediaries, BIPAR - European Insurance Committee, CEA - Banking Federation of the European Community - Savings Banks Group of the European Community, GCECEE - Association of Cooperative Banks of the EC - European Confederation of woodworking industries, CEI-bois - Confederation of the National Hotel and Restaurant Associations in the EC, HOTREC - European Construction Industry Federation - European Regional Airlines Association, ...[+++] ERA - Airports Council International - European Region, ACI-Europe - Association des Transports aériens à la demande - Association of European Community Airlines, AECI - Association of European Airlines, AEA - Organisation européenne des bateliers - International Union for Inland Navigation - European Community Shipowners Association, ECSA - Community of European Railways, CER - International Road Transport Union, IRU * Sectoral organisations of UNICE and committees of the ETUC also consulted as required ***