Dublin Fine Gael MEP Gay Mitchell has been appointed European Parliament rapporteur on the controversial plan by the European Commission to donate €1bn in unspent EU funds to help the world's poorest countries buy emergency food aid.
The plan, which is devised to ease the plight of the world's poorest people at a time or rapidly rising food prices, has run into opposition from eight EU member states, who oppose the Commision using unspent funds for unbudgeted activities.
Normally if there is an underspend in EU funds, as there is most years, the surplus goes back to the national governments.
Mr Mitchell must report back to the European Parliament by 25 August in order to get the report onto the agenda for the September plenary session.
Mr Mitchell has met the commission to find out details of the plan, and will meet the Council next Tuesday, where he expects to encounter opposition.
The emergency funding plan has been welcomed by aid and development NGOs.
A number of governments are uneasy about allowing the Commission to lay claim to unspent funds in the budget.
Already unspent funds have been diverted to finance the Gallileo satellite navigations system, and some governments, including the Irish, are hoping to use unspent funds to pay extra aid to fishermen, on top of the €600m already earmarked.
