ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the influence and the elements of multilateralism within European food aid as well as examining the growth of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) relationship as receivers of European Union (EU) food as resources for their charitable projects and programmes in the Third World. Multilateral food aid policy and the policies pursued by non-governmental aid organisations have had a major influence on the shaping of EU food aid policy. This has happened through a direct influence on the food aid policy emphasis of the member states of the Union, on the Commission itself and upon the European Parliament. NGOs' activities are generally divided into three areas: campaigning, fund raising and lobbying, together with the logistics and evaluation of their operations and the actual operations and projects themselves. NGOs have campaigned on a wide variety of issues relating to development, disaster relief and the environment, and increasing influence and shaped national and international policy towards these issues.
