Brussels, 14/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has authorised Bavaria to introduce a system of State Aid that will help set up a new quality label for beef. The total amount of this aid is EUR 7.5 million over the 2002-2004 period - EUR 3.5 million for 2002, EUR 2 million for 2003 and EUR 2 million for 2004. This label can be used by all EU companies that participate in the quality control programme. Aid will be used to cover the cost of measures such as: controls and certification of companies participating in the programme, information measures designed to explain the label and its performance to the consumer; sales promotion actions and advertising measures The aid had been authorised on the basis of new guidelines for state aids for the advertising of agricultural products. These rules entered into force on 1 January 2002 (published in Official Journal No. C/252 on 12 September 2001) and are designed to bring current legislation up to date (legislation was introduced on the matter in 1986 and 1987). It also seeks to introduce conditions for authorising state aid for producers to publicise the respective origin of their products (see EUROPE 7 June page 13 for further details).