The European Commission has presented its annual work plan to help food producers promote their products in the EU and abroad.

As part of the measures to promote European agri-food products in 2023, €185.9 million will be granted to industrial organizations in the EU to finance promotion campaigns inside and outside Europe .

“Promoting European agri-food products and their quality in the EU and globally is an important aspect of the Commission’s support for farmers,” said Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski.

Under the motto “Enjoy, it comes from Europe”, these campaigns aim to increase the visibility of EU products and highlight the efforts of farmers to produce quality food. All sectors except tobacco are eligible for EU aid.

“Our promotion policy helps them to penetrate new markets and to improve the notoriety of their products”, he added.

sustainability and animal welfare

According to the Commission’s plan, the priority this year is to open up new markets while supporting the agri-food sector at a time when production costs continue to rise.

It also aims to promote products which are “consistent with objectives such as the sustainability of EU agriculture, the promotion of animal welfare and the promotion of the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables and healthy and sustainable food”, in line with the objectives of the Farm-to-Fork strategy, the flagship of the EU for the food sector.

Like before decided in 2022the financing policy will promote the transition to a more plant-based diet.

Publicity campaigns are also a means of promoting the various EU labels, such as the biological seal, Make known.

“We are partially satisfied,” said MEP Salvatore De Meo, member of the European Parliament’s agriculture and rural development committee and rapporteur on the upcoming promotion policy reform.

The budget increases from 191.6 million euros in 2019 to 185.9 million euros in 2022 and 2023.

Regarding the EU Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy, De Meo warned that these “must not penalize the agri-food sector and reduce its production capacity, as this would increase our dependence on to third countries for food”.

According to him, projects should be evaluated and approved solely on the basis of their performance and no product should be discriminated against, he added.

Strong growth potential

For 2023, grants for advertising campaigns will be split more or less equally between campaigns inside and outside the EU.

One of the recent campaigns with the title “More than food in India” for example, enabled European businesses to launch advertising campaigns in 2021 and 2022 to boost their reach with local businesses and via local social media.

Products promoted in India to increase demand included Czech apples, Slovak sauerkraut and Morteau sausages.

Next year, the Commission wants to target countries and regions with “high growth potential”, such as China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, but also North America, New Zealand and Australia.

The same goes for the United Kingdom, which “with a 25% share of EU-27 exports [der 27 EU-Länder] one of the most important export markets for EU agri-food products”.

A call for projects for funding in 2023 will be published on January 19.

Read here the original article in French.

[Bearbeitet von Nathalie Weatherald]