In July, we told you about a proposal in the European Union right now to channel 1 billion euros ($1.6 billion) in unused European farm subsidies to African farmers as part of its response to the global food crisis. Now the EU has to decide how that money will get spent. Here’s an update from ONE’s Government Relations Manager in the UK, Eloise Todd:

This week the European Parliament’s Development Committee voted on how they would like the Food Facility to be spent when it is signed off in November. The Committee voted in favor of small-scale farmers getting money, supporting existing markets, and to guard against the money to be spread too thinly – Parliamentarians want the money to be limited to the 35 countries most in need, and to keep the focus of the funds as an emergency instrument for this year and next.

There is ongoing debate about where the money will come from to fund the Food Facility. The Development Committee wants to make sure the entire €1 billion is new money – after all, the Facility was suggested as a way to spend surplus funds in the EU budget. The Parliament will now negotiate with the 27 EU governments to finalize the content of the proposal and take a final vote in early December. Parliament’s Development champions will now be gearing up to persuade the people holding the purse strings that this additional €1 billion is definitely the right money, to the right place, at the right time before the big budget decision on November 21. We’ll keep you posted.

In the meantime, you can help give momentum to this effort by signing our petition to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is currently also President of the EU Council, asking him to support this initiative.

-Eloise Todd