The EU will promote high-quality and sustainable agri-food products. The European Commission has recently adopted a work programme for 2023, allocating 185.9 million euros to finance activities to promote sustainable and high-quality EU agri-food products in the Union and worldwide.
The promotion projects selected for 2023 should highlight and promote products that meet objectives such as the sustainability of EU agriculture, the improvement of animal welfare and the promotion of the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables and healthy and sustainable diets.
Calls for proposals for the upcoming 2023 campaigns will be published by the European Research Executive Agency in January next year. The funding is aimed at organisations of various kinds, including professional associations, producer organisations and agri-food groups responsible for promotion activities. So-called "simple" programmes may be submitted by one or more organisations from the same Member State. "Multiple" programmes involve at least two national organisations from at least two Member States or from at least one or more European organisations.
The amounts available for the campaigns selected for 2023 are divided almost equally between promotion on the EU’s internal market (€83.3 million) and promotion in third countries (€83.1 million).
Outside the EU, the main objectives of the promotion have been identified among countries and regions with high growth potential, including China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and North America, New Zealand and Australia. The list also includes the United Kingdom, which accounts for 25 % of the EU-27 exports and remains one of the main export markets for the Union agri-food products.
The selected campaigns will inform consumers in the EU and the rest of the world about the different EU quality schemes and labels, such as geographical indications or organic products. The latter category will receive funding of a maximum of 28 million euros to stimulate demand for organic products, in line with the action plan for organic production. An additional 36 million euros will support the promotion of sustainable farming practices that are beneficial for the climate, the environment and animal welfare and for the consumption of sustainably produced agri-food products.
To encourage healthier and balanced diets, more than 19 million euros will be earmarked specifically for the promotion of fresh fruit and vegetables, to help the sector face persistent challenges such as falling consumption and exports and a weak negotiating position towards the retail trade and transformation on a large scale.