(BRUSSELS) - EU countries were divided on Friday over plans to step up food aid to their population's poorest members, with some arguing the farm budget should not be used for social policy.

"I heard a pretty big majority (of countries) were interested in this programme, but that others have problems with it," said French Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier after chairing a meeting with counterparts.

He left it up to experts from EU member states to try to hammer out a compromise as well as the Czech Republic, which takes over the bloc's rotating presidency in January and is opposed to the plans.

In addition to the Czech Republic, Britain, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden are also opposed.

They said on Friday that they could not support European Commission proposals in their current form to renew and increase the food aid programme for the poor, which member states have to partially finance.

The group is big enough to be able to block any plans in their current shape.

Food aid for the poor "is part of social policy and that has nothing to do with the Common Agriculture Policy and social policy falls under the authority of national governments," said Dutch Farm Minister Gerda Verburg.

The European Commission has proposed to increase the annual budget for the bloc's food aid programme from 300 million euros to 500 million euros (382-637 million dollars). The programme benefitted 13 million people in 2006.

"Eleven percent of our population lives with less than 600 euros per month. We have a moral and ethical duty to support these people," said Italian Agriculture Minister Luca Zaia.

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