Over 200 proposals for EU-supported programmes designed to promote agricultural products have been received following a call for interest in January, the Commission said in a press release published on Monday 24 April.
For 2017, some 189 proposals have been received for simple programmes (that is, submitted by one or more organisations from the same EU country) and 35 proposals for multi programmes, which involve more than one country.
The Commission will analyse the proposals and will deliver its verdict on which projects have been successful and will be co-financed from the EU budget. The selected campaigns, which usually run over three years, will be co-financed at rates of 70-85%. Simple programmes will be managed by the competent authorities in each EU country, while the multi programmes will be managed by the Commission through its executive agency, CHAFEA.
Some €133 million from the EU budget has been allocated for these promotional programmes in 2017 (see EUROPE 11666). Most of the funding (€63 million) will go to simple programmes in non-EU countries and regions, including China, the Middle East, North America, South-East Asia and Japan. The programmes will focus primarily on fruit and vegetables, meat and dairy products, as well as quality on the EU's quality schemes and on raising awareness of sustainable agriculture and the role of agriculture in climate action. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)