EU funding to curb food contamination outbreaks

The EU Budgets Committee has agreed to provide European fruit and vegetable producers with an additional €250m ($334.26m) in funding to help curb food contamination outbreaks in the future.

The fund, which was given at the request of the Agriculture Committee, is aimed at preventing future food crises such as the E coli outbreak in Germany earlier this year.

In addition, the fund will financially help fruit and vegetable producers in case of any food safety crises.

The proposal was approved by members of the EU Budgets Committee when voting on the 2012 EU Budget.

Although the additional aid package to fruit and vegetable producer groups was initially approved at €175m ($233.98m), an oral amendment to a draft agreement increased the amount by €75m ($100.27m).

The amendment indicated that the improved proposal would be used to "increase the Union contribution to the crisis fund of the operational funds for producer organisations in the fruit and vegetable sector".

"This increase will serve for specific measures for the producers affected by the E coli crisis and to prevent a future crisis," the amendment noted.