EU food distribution criteria should not depend on skin colour - Simon Busuttil

The fact that milk and yoghurt distributed under an EU food scheme was not being given to immigrants because of a shortage was worrying Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil.

This morning, he called for more transparent criteria in the distribution of this food adding that these criteria should not depend on a person's skin colour or nationality.

The EU food aid scheme re-distributes to people in need throughout the EU food that ends up being surplus through the common agricultural policy. In Malta it is managed by YMCA which hands out food to parishes and NGOs for distribution to people who are eligible.

YMCA also carried out checks to ensure that there were no abuses.

Last month Fr Dionysius Mintoff - founder of the Peace Lab in Hal Far, which houses immigrants, said that after being informed by the YMCA that the Peace Lab was eligible for food under the scheme last week, he went to collect the dairy products from YMCA.

But there he was informed that, following a directive issued by the Resources Ministry, milk and yoghurt would not be distributed to immigrants.

He claimed that this was discriminatory but the YMCA said this was not a matter of discrimination.

Some foodstuff, including dairy products, were available in limited supply so the ministry decided to limit the beneficiaries, the spokesman said, adding the Peace Lab was still eligible to other foodstuff in supply, such as jam and sugar.

Commenting on this point during a visit to the YMCA this morning, Dr Busuttil said that such things worried him and called for more transparent criteria.

YMCA scheme coordinator Roberta Grech said that YMCA has also asked for these criteria. However, until this was available, the organisation had to abide by the ministry's decision.