Promotion of European agricultural products

On 12 January, the European Commission published a call for proposals with a view to providing EUR 128.5 million to finance campaigns to promote the consumption of European agricultural products. Producer organisations from the EU and professional associations may submit their proposals by 20 April 2017 via a dedicated electronic portal.

One of the priorities set by the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan, is the opening of third-country markets to European agricultural goods.

The campaigns to be carried out, both in the EU and in countries outside the Union, will aim to inform the public and governments about the quality of products from European producers and to promote their consumption.

In a speech before the European Commission, Phil Hogan stated: “The reformed policy for applications in 2016 succeeded in opening the doors of the programmes to new applicants. Nearly 50% of them benefited from funding for the first time. This year’s discussions are focused on promoting the consumption of agricultural goods outside the EU, while at the same time an increase in the budget for multinational programmes is envisaged.”

The products that will be promoted primarily are fruit and vegetables – 30%, followed by meat – 17% and dairy products – 15%.

The Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (Chafea, Luxembourg) has been entrusted by the European Commission with the management of certain phases of the implementation of the programmes, including the publication of calls for proposals, the receipt and evaluation of proposals, the preparation and conclusion of grant agreements for multinational programmes, and the monitoring of their implementation.

In order to encourage the number of applicants, the Commission is organising an information day in Brussels on 31 January 2017, which is open to all potential beneficiaries, advertising agencies and national implementing bodies. The information day will specifically focus on providing guidance for the preparation of proposals and on presenting successful examples from recently co-financed programmes. Applications must be submitted to the Commission by 20 April 2017 via a dedicated electronic portal. The European Commission will then evaluate the applications and take a final decision in the autumn on the approved projects.

The programmes for which applications may be submitted, the budget and the application procedure can be found HERE