European Parliament
Jim Higgins  (PPE ).
– Mr President, I certainly welcome this report. I commend the rapporteur for the huge amount of hard work put into it and for the very practical approach which allows this scheme – at long last – to come into operation as soon as possible.
I think it is an excellent scheme. It benefits over 18 million of the most needy people in 19 Member States. The programme is 100% EU-funded and the amount – EUR 500 million – is small in the context of the overall common agricultural policy budget. There is no state financing involved, and I welcome this.
The Council agreement of 15 December 2011 allowed for the implementation of the scheme over the period 2012-2013. The initiative was blocked, as has been said already, for far too long by seven Member States. I welcome the compromise that has been negotiated by the Council, but there is no guarantee that the economic situation will have improved by 2013. I welcome the clarification by the Commission today that it will use its initiative in terms of putting a further scheme in place.

