The revision of the EU’s agricultural Promotion Policy and the draft 2022 Annual Work Programme budget, confirms the shift made in 2021, with an ever-increasing share of funds devoted to sustainable and organic farming.
According to the draft regulation, the 2022 budget would amount to €185.9 million (i.e. €3 million more than in 2021), of which almost half would be devoted to sustainable agriculture and almost 20% to organic products alone.
The 2022 budget will be split between €89 million for single programmes (led by professional organisations in a single Member State) and €87.4 million for multiple programmes.
Under the single programmes, €42.1 million are foreseen for internal market actions, of which €14 million for organic farming. The other half is to be devoted to actions in third countries (€41.9 million), in particular for countries in Asia, America, but also the UK, with €5 million allocated in this envelope to organic and sustainable agriculture.
Within the multiple programmes (€87.4 million), €44.2 million is for the internal market, including €18 million for organic and sustainable products and €12 million for animal welfare.
The European Commission is expected to adopt its draft budget in November. The publication of the calls for proposals is scheduled for January 2022.
Several agricultural sectors in the firing line
This shift towards more and more support for sustainable agriculture could become even more pronounced in the coming years with the ongoing revision of the EU’s Promotion Policy.
The European Commission is reportedly considering cutting support for red meat and wine. An impact assessment of the policy options should be finalised by October, with a presentation of the Commission’s proposals expected by the end of the year.
In a Joint Statement issued on Monday 12 July, fifteen EU agricultural organisations called for the following elements to be taken into account in the reform of the promotion policy:
- no product or sector should be excluded: all farm, food and drink products can be part of balanced diets and contribute to sustainability;
- all sustainable agricultural practices should be equally supported in order to maximise the Promotion Policy contribution to sustainability. “There are many sustainable practices and organic farming is only one of them”;
- the future EU Promotion Policy deserves an adequate budget. “Third countries have understood the importance of such policies and are strongly investing in their own promotion policies”, the statement said.
Link to the Joint Statement: https://bit.ly/3kbj0MS (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)