Measures to provide information on and to promote agricultural products in third countries

The Council has set in place a comprehensive and coherent policy to provide information on and promote European Union agricultural products in third countries. Its aim in so doing is to complement and reinforce measures carried out by the Member States and private concerns by, among other things, promoting the image of Community products on international markets, in particular with regard to the quality and safety of foodstuffs.

ACT

Council Regulation (EC) No 2702/1999 of 14 December 1999 on measures to provide information on, and to promote, agricultural products in third countries [Official Journal L 327 of 21.12.1999 [See amending acts]

SUMMARY

1. The Community may contribute to financing measures promoting European agricultural products carried out in third countries by trade or inter-trade organisations. Promotion must be generic and must not support a particular brand or specific origin except in the case of Community schemes and special logos provided for in Community rules.

2. The measures eligible for Community part-financing may take the form of promotional measures, public relations work, participation in fairs, exhibitions and events, information about the Community classification covering certain agricultural products, publicity or promotion at points of sale. This equally concerns both studies of new markets and high-level trade visits.

3. As regards high-level trade visits, measures to provide information on the Community PDO/PGI and TSG schemes and organic products and the evaluation of campaigns, the Community contribution amounts to 100% of the budget. For the other measures, the Community contribution should not exceed 50%, added to the 20% provided by the Member States; that part of the budget not financed by the Commission and the Member States is the responsibility of the trade (30%). In the case of measures lasting for two or three years, the Community contribution will be degressive, falling from 60% to 40% of the cost of the measures.

4. The products concerned should be intended either for consumption or processing, or be typical products of quality with high added value. There must be actual or potential demand on the markets of the non-Community countries targeted.

5. Every two years the European Commission helped by the Advisory Committee on Agricultural Product Health and Safety draws up a list of the selected products and countries. The Community may also implement its measures through international organisations, such as the International Olive Oil Council.

6. Having invited competitive offers, the trade or inter-trade organisations concerned select an implementing body. The Member States in which the proposers reside undertake to contribute to funding the measures. Member States then present their programmes to the Commission. Priority will be given to programmes proposed by several organisations in different Member States. The European Commission may implement certain measures financed at 100% (information campaigns for quality schemes and organic products, high-level trade visits, evaluation studies) by means of contracts concluded directly with the implementing bodies. In such cases, the implementing bodies are chosen by means of invitations to tender.

7. The Commission is assisted in its task by the Joint Management Committee for the Promotion of Agricultural Products, which issues an opinion on the draft Commission decision approving the programmes.

RELATED ACTS

Regulation (EC) No 2879/2000 [Official Journal L 333, 29 December 2000] laying down detailed rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 2702/1999 on measures to provide information on, and to promote, agricultural products in third countries.

This Regulation sets out in detail the procedure for proposing a promotion programme for Community financing.

The Annex lists the countries where measures may be carried out and the products concerned.

Countries concerned:

• Switzerland,
• Norway,
• Romania,
• Bulgaria,
• Russia,
• Japan,
• China,
• South Korea,
• South-East Asia,
• India,
• Middle East,
• Republic of South Africa,
• North America,
• Latin America,
• Australia and New Zealand.

Products concerned:

• Fresh, chilled and frozen beef, veal and pigmeat; food preparations based on these products,
• Quality poultrymeat,
• Cheese and yoghurt,
• Olive oil and table olives,
• Table wines with a geographical indication, quality wines psr,
• Spirit drinks with a geographical indication or a reserved traditional description,
• Fresh and processed fruit and vegetables,
• Products processed from cereals and rice,
• Fibre flax.

REPORTS

Commission Report to the European Parliament and the Council on the application of Council Regulations (EC) Nos 2702/1999 and 2826/2000 [COM(2004) 233-1 - not published in the Official Journal] .

The Commission concludes that the current arrangements for supporting information and promotion measures defined in the above-mentioned Regulations should be continued, but suggests enhancing and streamlining their management by means of a number of technical and administrative adjustments.

Last updated: 07.07.2005