In the second half of December, the European Commission approved the operational programmes for eight EU countries to use the new Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD), including a €560 million package for Spain.

After Spain, Greece received the most funds (€280 million) of this batch followed by Portugal, Croatia, Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg and Denmark, which was allocated an amount of €3,9 million.

They join the seventeen EU countries that saw their national programmes approved since July, with France, being the first to have its national FEAD programme adopted.

Here is a breakdown by country (in current prices and for the period 2014-2020):

• Spain will receive €563,4 million (complemented by €99,4 million from national resources) to provide food aid. In addition, partner organisations will provide accompanying measures to encourage the social-labour integration of the most deprived people.
• Greece will receive €280 million (complemented by almost €50 million from national resources) to tackle food and material deprivation of groups such as families, with an emphasis on single parent or multi-child families, and the homeless.
• Portugal will receive €176,9 million (complemented by €31.2 million from national resources) to provide food support and basic goods packages, such as hygiene products, clothing, footwear and school supplies.
• Croatia will receive €36,6 million (complemented with nearly €6,5 million from national resources) to provide food aid in the form of either meals or food packages, together with hygiene products, school material and sport equipment.
• Ireland will receive €22.7 million (complmented by €4 million from national resources) to provide food support and basic goods packages.
• Finland will receive €22.5 million (complemented by €4 million from national resources) to provide food aid to the most deprived, often people facing long-term difficulties.
• Luxembourg will receive almost €4 million (complemented by €696.119 from national resources). The funding will both answer a distress situation in food and basic material assistance and will help especially save a budget for, for instance, housing costs.
• Denmark will receive €3,9 million (complemented with €700.000 from national resources). The funding will focus on the most vulnerable group of people suffering from homelessness, those who have a very sporadic or no contact with the social services.

Background

Launched in January 2014, the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) is a potent symbol of European solidarity. Its main aim is to break the vicious circle of poverty and deprivation, by providing non-financial assistance to some of the EU’s most vulnerable citizens.

The FEAD is worth €3.8 billion in real terms in the 2014 to 2020 period.