The Commission adopts simpler rules for the EU’s agri-food promotion policy

The European Commission has adopted simpler rules for the EU’s agri-food promotion policy, reducing the administrative and financial requirements for beneficiaries and Member States. These changes will make it easier to implement the programmes and will benefit organisations applying for EU funding.

Drawing on 10 years’ experience in managing these programmes, the amendment streamlines administrative procedures.

The main changes include:

• More time to finalise contracts: the deadline is extended from 90 to 180 days, giving Member States and beneficiaries more time to complete the necessary formalities.
• Higher pre-financing: the maximum pre-financing rate is increased to 30 per cent, which particularly helps smaller beneficiaries to obtain more initial funding to implement their programmes.
• Fewer reporting requirements: the obligations to report to the Commission on the impact of simple programmes are reduced to a single final report.

This is the result of extensive consultation with stakeholders and Member States.

Next steps

The Regulation will enter into force on the seventh day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. The new rules will apply from that date. However, they will not apply to contracts for the implementation of simple programmes concluded before 1 December 2026, so as not to disrupt current practice.

As in previous years, the budget for the 2027 agri-food promotion programme has not yet been finalised. The budget allocation is subject to adjustments as part of the review of the 2021–2027 Multiannual Financial Framework. The final budget for the 2027 Annual Work Programme is expected to be confirmed in October 2026. The Commission considers that adequate financial resources are essential to ensure that promotion programmes can continue to support the EU agri-food sector in the long term.

Background

Promotion policy co-finances programmes that promote EU agri-food products and rewards EU farmers and agri-food businesses for their efforts to meet the highest standards of quality, safety and environmental protection in a competitive global market. Since 2016, the European Commission has co-financed more than 650 campaigns under the common slogan ‘Enjoy it, it’s from Europe’, strengthening the reputation of EU agri-food products both within the Union and around the world. The promotion policy has also supported the implementation of free trade agreements (for example, with Japan, South Korea and Canada) and has contributed to the positive trend in the EU’s agri-food trade balance over the last decade. Promotion can improve the sector’s resilience by enabling the strategic diversification of markets for EU agri-food exports. Simple programmes involve one or more organisations from the same EU country and are managed by national authorities.

More information: European Commission.