MEP Fiona Hall welcomes billion Euro fund to tackle food crisis

4.00.00pm GMT Sun 2nd Nov 2008

North East Lib Dem MEP Fiona Hall has welcomed the mobilisation of a €1 billion (£800 million) EU fund to help farmers in developing countries cope with volatile food prices.

A deal could not have been reached without MEPs, who pushed reluctant Member States, including the UK government, to commit extra money to the 2008 emergency aid reserve. National governments refused to allow unused Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments to be used to finance the initiative, as the European Commission had originally proposed.

Fiona, who is on the Development Committee of the European Parliament, said:

"Many people in developing countries have really struggled this year because of sudden sharp increases in food prices, which remain volatile. I am very pleased that EU ministers have finally agreed to mobilise € 1 billion for the global food crisis on top of the several hundred billion Euro for the economic crisis.

"What is important now is to make sure that the money is used quickly to pay for seeds and fertiliser for the crucial 2009 spring planting season, which will help to ensure an adequate 2009 harvest.

"People in the North East have traditionally responded with great generosity at times of famine and emergency in developing countries - but we all know that the best way to tackle a food crisis is to ensure that it doesn't happen in the first place, and that is exactly what the €1 billion Food Facility aims to do."

The decision on the €1 billion food facility is set to be formally ratified by the European Parliament in its plenary session on Thursday 4th December.