On Friday 21^st November, the EU’s Finance Ministers will set the Council’s mandate for the negotiation of the EU budget with European Parliamentarians. How to finance the proposal for a €1 billion food facility for the poorest countries has become the most hotly contested debate for the EU budget 2009.

Oliver Buston of ONE said:

“Finance Ministers and MEPs have two choices tomorrow. They could deliver on €1 billion of genuinely additional development funding to the world’s most vulnerable farmers and fulfil their leaders’ commitment to fill the funding gap. Or they could use some creative accounting to redeploy existing development funds and avoid paying out any new money. We believe the negotiators want to deliver on the former. We will not be able to accept the latter.

He added:

“We are facing difficult economic times. But this is an investment – not only for those living in the poorest countries but also for donor countries. Funding agricultural inputs is a fantastic way to get communities up and running and self sufficient again. If we don’t do this we are putting lives on the line, and it will cost us much more in the long run. We know they can find the money. This is a question of political will. This will serve as a test as to whether we’ve forgotten the developing world as soon as our own times get tough”.

For further comment contact:

Oliver Buston, European Director of ONE. Tel: +44 7963 288446

Notes for editors:

• EU leaders supported the idea of EU funding for the food crisis at the European Council in June 2008.
• The European Commission proposed the Food Facility in July.
• The fast-tracked process has seen intensive negotiations on the content and the funding of the proposal.
• The budget negotiations (trialogue) will take place on Friday 21 November between the Council, Parliament and Commission, though it is the Council and Parliament that have budgetary power.