Originally Posted by
Takiteasy
It is: Article 9.1(a) contains and obligation to provide meals and refreshments commensurate with the delay.
It actually says
meals and refreshments in a reasonable relation to the waiting time;
It also includes the time of day. If a flight is due to say depart at 2pm but is delayed to say 4.30 then only refreshment (so water or a cup of tea / coffee) would be reasonable provision because most reasonable people would have had lunch before the flight departed.
And that's if the provision of such care doesn't further delay the flight.