MEPs and NGOs fight to save Europe's food aid programme as governments plan cuts targeting the most deprived citizens. And more of today's headlines.

The News: No bailouts for the poor?

The focus last weekend, in Brussels  and elsewhere, was on saving the euro.

But for millions of Europeans  something else was of equal concern,

namely, whether they'll have enough to eat  in the coming weeks and months.

Six European governments have decided  to block most of a Commission programme

which provided half a billion euros worth  of surplus food a year

A call from the EPP to put the issue on the  European Council agenda went unheard.

In Europe, there are  30 million malnourished people

The EU's fundamental principles  are in the Charter of Fundamental Rights,

and the Council has shown  a lack of solidarity and sensitivity

and has shown itself to be discriminatory  with regard to those most in need.

The six governments planning  to slash the budget

want the aid to become  a national responsibility.

Their reasoning is that in times of crisis  the EU must save at all levels.

NGOs such as the Social Platform  doubt that it will work.

It's not a euro crisis, it's a crisis of  the financial sector, of the public budget,

The food aid programme  has nothing to do with speculation.

It targets the most deprived,  which is completely different.

If the governments  don't change their minds,

three quarters of the Commission's yearly  480 million food aid will run out by 2013.

Behind the smiles at the European Council  lay the stress of saving the eurozone.

Discussions on Sunday  centred on finding cash and fast.

Banks must find 100 billion, and the bailout  fund needs to be raised to one trillion euros,

which requires a change  to laws governing the EU.

It’s absolutely necessary  to change the treaty.

The final decisions  should be taken Wednesday.

Out of 27,000 Europeans  interviewed for an EU survey,

a large majority feared the crisis  would last many more years.

However, most believed  Europe was dealing with it well,

with 65% in favour of the creation  of a European credit rating agency

to counter the effect of private agencies  blamed for escalating the eurozone crisis.

With a 90% turnout, the Tunisian elections  seemingly went without a hitch.

MEP Lambert van Nistelrooij,  returning from the region,

Some said, ‘C’est le plus beau jour de ma  vie’, it's the most wonderful day of my life.

And when I said, ‘You’ve been waiting  for 3 or 4 hours in the sun',

they said, ‘Listen man,  we’ve been waiting for 25 years!’