Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 11 May 2000

Vol. 519 No. 1

Written Answers. - EU Food Aid Programme.

Michael Bell

Question:

78 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the serious concerns expressed by humanitarian organisations in regard to the inadequacies of the EU food aid programme, especially in regard to the crisis in Ethiopia; if he has raised this matter with the EU; the response, if any, he has received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13064/00]

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (Ms O'Donnell)

I am aware of the concerns raised about EU Food Aid, particularly the length of time it takes between a commitment to provide such aid and its arrival in the country in need. These concerns have been raised by Ireland and other member states at the EU's food aid committee. I have raised the particular case of Ethiopia with Commissioner Nielson and will do so again at the Development Council next week. The main concern expressed by the humanitarian organisations was the failure to replenish food drawn from the Ethiopian Government's emergency food security reserve – EFSR – in 1998 and 1999. The EFSR was created as a means of ensuring that sufficient food is in stock to address food shortages that may arise. Due to borrowings by NGOs and other agencies during the course of 1999 and the severity of the effects of three years of drought the reserve was depleted. These borrowings were made on foot of pledges from international donors such as the EU, USA and WFP that the stocks would be replenished. However, there was a delay in fulfilling this commitment.

The key issue now is to ensure that the food aid committed for the current emergency reaches those most in need and then to build up the EFSR again. The European Commission has pledged a total of 542,526 metric tonnes of food aid for delivery to Ethiopia over the next 12 months. Of this 109,647 metric tonnes will go to the EFSR.

The EU's food aid committee will discuss Ethiopia's food aid requirements for 2001 in July with the aim of ensuring that the commitments for 2001 are delivered in the first months of the year.

The Development Council at its forthcoming meeting on 18 May will examine the results of a number of evaluations of the EU aid programme. The council will also hear from Commissioner Nielson about the Commission's plans for the reform of the management of EU aid. The evaluations of EU aid have highlighted the complex internal financial controls, a centralised bureaucracy, a proliferation of different funding instruments and a lack of co-ordination between different Directorates in the Commission as impeding the effective delivery of EU aid. The commission, as part of its overall Commission reform programme, is planning a major overhaul of the management system of EU aid. It has also recently presented a Communication setting out an overall EU development policy which will govern all EU development programmes.

In the coming months there will be intensive efforts by the Commission and the Council to deal with the internal problems in the EU aid system to ensure that its performance is improved and that aid is delivered effectively and speedily to those most in need.