EU gives the go-ahead to simplified rules for the promotion of agri-food products

Brussels – Simpler rules governing the European Union’s agri-food promotion policy. The European Commission adopted them today (14 July) to reduce the administrative and financial burden on beneficiaries and Member States. The changes will make the programmes easier to implement, benefiting organisations applying for EU funding.

The changes include allowing more time to conclude main contracts, higher pre-financing, and fewer reporting requirements. As regards contracts, their duration is extended from 90 to 180 days, giving Member States and beneficiaries more time to complete the necessary procedures. On the issue of funding, the maximum pre-financing rate (the percentage of the total grant that the EU pays in advance to beneficiaries, such as producer organisations and consortia, following project approval, to ensure the initial liquidity needed to launch activities) has been increased to 30 per cent. This aims to help smaller beneficiaries, but those requiring greater initial funding, to implement their programmes. Regarding reporting, it has been decided that the obligation to notify the Commission of the impact of the simplified programmes is reduced to a single final notification. The Berlaymont Building has clarified that all these changes result from extensive consultation with stakeholders and Member States. 

The Regulation will enter into force seven days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, and the new rules will apply from that date. However, the provisions will not apply to contracts for the implementation of simple programmes concluded before 1 December 2026, while the budget for the 2027 agri-food promotion programme has not yet been finalised. 

The EU promotion policy aims to help EU producers sell their products on the global market. It co-funds programmes that promote EU agri-food products, as well as rewarding its farmers and agri-food businesses that meet the highest quality, safety, and environmental standards in a competitive global market. There are two types of promotional measures: those managed by European professional or inter-professional associations, producer organisations or associations of producer organisations, agri-food bodies and co-financed by the EU and those managed by the EU itself, such as diplomatic initiatives by the relevant Commissioner in non-EU countries to develop trade in agri-food products, participation in trade fairs, and the organisation of communication campaigns.