EU aid blitz to tackle food and fuel poverty

THE EU will increase the amount of money available for emergency food aid for poorer citizens while governments are free to reduce excise duty on fuel and to levy windfall taxes on fuel companies.

The measures are part of proposals unveiled to tackle what was described as “a new kind of poverty in Europe” and was endorsed by leaders of the 27 EU countries at their summit in response to the crisis in food and fuel prices.

Leaders heard 16% of people in the EU live below the poverty line, as 100 million have been pushed into poverty because of the rising cost of food and oil.