IP/09/1779 Brussels, 20 November 2009 The Commission adopts food aid plan for the neediest people for 2010 The Commission today published its food aid plan for the neediest people for 2010. Originally designed to provide surplus stocks of farm produce ('intervention stocks') to needy people, the scheme was amended in the mid-1990s to make it possible to supplement intervention stocks with market purchases in certain circumstances. However, this year existing intervention stocks (cereals, sugar, milk powder, butter) broadly cover needs for the 2010 plan, so only limited recourse to market purchases is necessary. The allocated budget of 500 million Euros is the same as for the 2009 plan. This year, 19 Member States have decided to participate in the aid programme.  Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, said of the programme: 'It is a practical way in which the European Union can help some of the neediest people in society.  We must therefore carry out this programme in the right way so that the products actually reach those who need them.' Background  A plan for the free distribution of food to the neediest people in the Community was launched as an urgent measure during the harsh winter of 1986/1987 when surpluses of agricultural products were given to charities in the Member States for distribution to those who needed them.  This measure has since become a permanent feature and is based on the use of intervention stocks. The scheme has allowed Member States to release public stocks of surplus food for use as food aid. However, the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which began in the early 1990s and was aimed at achieving major cuts in Community intervention stocks, has been one of the factors in allowing purchases to be made on the market in certain circumstances. This year, though, intervention stocks are sufficient to enable nearly all parts of the plan to be covered and very little use needs to be made of the option to buy on the market. The sustainable reduction in intervention stocks which has been made has nevertheless led to proposals for reform of the aid programme to adapt it to developments in the CAP and enable it to help those most in need more effectively. This reform has not yet been adopted by the Council. The participation of the Member States in the programme is voluntary, with the Commission adopting a new plan each year. Aid is typically provided to a wide range of people living in poverty, including families in difficulties, elderly people with insufficient means, the homeless, the disabled, children at risk, the working poor, migrant workers and asylum seekers. Member States wishing to participate in the programme notify the Commission at the beginning of each year and then inform it of their needs for the specific products. They must also provide it with a report on the implementation of the programme. Although the EU has, on average, some of the highest living standards in the world, some people are unable to adequately feed themselves. According to the most recent estimates, on average 17% of the EU population live at or below the poverty line and therefore face food poverty meaning, for example, that they are unable to have one balanced meal every two days. The aid programme enables the poorest European citizens to benefit from one of the oldest European policies: the CAP. For documents and more information, please see:    http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets/freefood/index_en.htm    Annex 1: Quantity of each type of product to be taken out of Community intervention stocks for distribution in the Member States under the 2010 plan Annex 2: Resources placed at the disposal of the Member States under the 2010 plan Annex 1: Quantity of each type of product to be taken out of Community intervention stocks for distribution in the Member States under the 2010 plan (tonnes)            Member States   Cereals   Butter   Milk power   Sugar     Belgium   29 067   1 285   -   1 507     Bulgaria   54 104   -   -   1 724     Czech Republic   302   20   22   9     Estonia   5 147   -   1   -     Ireland   -   350   -   -     Greece   64 397   -   5 889   -     Spain   181 248   9 335   1 603   3 483     France   168 998   13 033   12 050   3 247     Italy   283 206   20 000   18 166   4 006     Latvia   22 951   -   969   -     Lithuania   40 317   145   1 212   1 182     Hungary   95 687   -   -   1 938     Malta   4 740   -   -   -     Poland   387 305   1 901   17 952   10 823     Portugal   47 522   5 079   1 826   1 045     Romania   135 555   -   4 500   5 577     Slovenia   9 810   -   600   289     Finland   25 371   -   500   -     Total   1 555 726   51 148   65 290   34 832     Annex 2: Resources placed at the disposal of the Member States under the 2010 plan          (in euro)     Member States   Distribution     Belgium   7 806 433     Bulgaria   8 565 832     Czech Republic   133 893     Estonia   761 012     Ireland   818 816     Greece   20 044 478     Spain   52 623 664     France   78 103 609     Italy   122 456 856     Latvia   5 119.849     Lithuania   8 859 115     Luxembourg   107 483     Hungary   14 770 126     Malta   698 841     Poland   97 405 034     Portugal   22 516 761     Romania   29 951 704     Slovenia   2 619 927     Finland   4 636 567     Total   478 000 000