European Parliament
President.
Question No 57 by Bart Staes 
Subject: Guarantee of food distribution to disadvantaged groups
In his answer to Question E-1695/02
(1)
Commissioner Fischler says that the Commission does not intend to put an end to the distribution of food to disadvantaged groups (using surpluses from intervention stocks). On the other hand, the Commission states that the phasing out of agricultural surpluses could ultimately entail re-examining the programme’s advisability and implementation. The downward trend in intervention stocks does not constitute an obstacle to implementing the 2002 and 2003 programmes in the normal way. 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.
Can the Commission confirm and explain these figures relating to Belgium and describe the current state of affairs in this area at European level
OJ C 309 E, 12.12.2002, p. 151.

