Brussels, 07/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 7 November, the European Commission announced it had approved 22 programmes to promote agricultural products in the European Union and in third countries. The programmes selected, most of which will run for a period of three years, will have a total budget of €70 million, €35 million of which will be EU funded. The selected programmes cover quality products registered and protected as PDGs (protected designations of origin), PGIs (protected geographical indications) and TSGs (traditional speciality guaranteed), wines, meat produced under national quality schemes, organic products, milk and milk products, fresh fruit and vegetables, ornamental horticulture, honey and beekeeping products, beef, veal and pig meat, as well as quality poultry meat.
The Commission received 34 applications for funding and, after evaluation, has approved 22 programmes targeting the internal market (15) and the third countries (7) as part of the second wave of programme submission for the year 2013. Two of the selected programmes were proposed by more than one member state. Third countries and regions targeted are: North America, Russia, Latin America, Norway, Switzerland, the Middle East, Serbia, Montenegro, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.
The main programmes from the financial point of view include: a Dutch horticulture programme (€4 million of EU funds), a French programme in favour of quality products (€3 million), a French milk production programme (€2.7 million), a French programme for the promotion of meat (€2.4 million), a Greek programme for the promotion of olive oil and milk products (€2.5 million), and an Austrian programme for organic products (€2.1 million). The Commission will soon present a new strategy for the promotion of EU agricultural products. (LC/transl.jl)