On the implementation of the EU agri-food promotion policy after the 2014 reform

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

(2025/2089(INI))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1144/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on information provision and promotion measures concerning agricultural products implemented in the internal market and in third countries and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 3/2008,

– having regard to the European Parliamentary Research Service study of December 2025 entitled ‘Evaluation of EU agri-food promotion policy: Insights and lessons learnt – European Implementation Assessment’,

– having regard to the European Commission’s announcement concerning the ‘Buy European Food’ campaign in September 2025,

– having regard to the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on ‘Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan’ (COM(2021)0044),

– having regard to the European Parliamentary Research Service study of August 2022 entitled ‘Farm certification schemes for sustainable agriculture – State of play and overview in the EU and in key global producing countries, concepts and methods’,

– having regard to the report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the application of Regulation (EU) No 1144/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on information provision and promotion measures concerning agricultural products implemented in the internal market and in third countries (COM(2021)0049),

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021 establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1305/2013 and (EU) No 1307/2013,

– having regard to the Commission staff working document ‘Evaluation of the impact of the EU agricultural promotion policy on internal and third countries markets’ (SWD(2020)0399),

– having regard to the study by the European Commission, Deloitte, Ipsos and Tetratech International Development of July 2020 entitled ‘Evaluation support study of the EU agricultural promotion policy, internal and third country markets’, Publications Office,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products, amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013, (EU) 2019/787 and (EU) 2019/1753 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012,

– having regard to the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1831 of 7 October 2015 laying down rules for application of Regulation (EU) No 1144/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on information provision and promotion measures concerning agricultural products implemented in the internal market and in third countries,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/2117 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021 amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products, (EU) No 1151/2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs, (EU) No 251/2014 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of aromatised wine products and (EU) No 228/2013 laying down specific measures for agriculture in the outermost regions of the Union,

– having regard to the Commission implementing decision of 15.12.2025 on the financing of information and promotion measures concerning agricultural products implemented in the internal market and in third countries and the adoption of the work programme for 2026,

– having regard to the Commission implementing decision of 12.12.2024 on the financing of information provision and promotion measures concerning agricultural products implemented in the internal market and in third countries and the adoption of the work programme for 2025,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 19 February 2025 entitled ‘A Vision for Agriculture and Food – Shaping together an attractive farming and agri-food sector for future generations’ (COM(2025)0075),

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A10-0000/2026),

A. whereas the promotion policy mobilised a budget of EUR 132 million for 2025, distributed between simple and multi programmes, and it is a key tool for strengthening the competitiveness of European supply chains on internal and international markets, in particular by supporting collective actions;

B. whereas the multi programmes, which received funding of approximately EUR 40 million in 2025, foster cooperation between Member States and contribute to the development of partnerships between beneficiaries of the programme and thus strengthen the integration of the internal market;

C. whereas, in the 20162024 period, the demand for funding for promotion programmes, particularly in third countries, regularly exceeded the allocation, and the share allocated to multi programmes decreased between 2021 and 2024, highlighting a structural imbalance between needs and available resources;

D. whereas resources for certain initiatives, such as the promotion of organic and sustainable products in third countries, are frequently underused, while for other products there is a large excess of demand, thus demonstrating the need for better alignment with the current market reality;

E. whereas three quarters of the sample used in the study are small and medium-sized enterprises or organisations representing them, and these actors face rising production costs and limited investment capacity, making it necessary to strengthen fair, simplified and proportionate access to promotional tools;

F. whereas, since 2021, a proportion of the funding has been allocated to categories such as ‘sustainability’ and ‘healthy diets’, while at the same time fostering the economic promotion of European products;

G. whereas more than half of the beneficiaries that participated in the EPRS study believe that the slogan ‘Enjoy, it’s from Europe’ has significantly contributed to improving product recognition, particularly in third countries, where levels of awareness of European brands and origin marking remain lower than in the territories of the Union;

H. whereas agricultural markets, particularly in third countries, are exposed to rapid economic and geopolitical fluctuations, and simple programmes managed at national level often have a more limited adaptive capacity than multi programmes, making it necessary to strengthen flexibility and budget reorientation mechanisms;

I. whereas complex administrative procedures are significant obstacles for a significant proportion of operators, particularly those located in rural areas, who need more simplification to ensure the effectiveness of public funding;

J. whereas for operators located in mountainous or disadvantaged rural areas, promotion programmes are an important tool for maintaining employment, economic activity and territorial cohesion;

Recommendations

Funding

1. Stresses the importance of multi programmes that enable collaboration between Member States and should therefore receive a higher financial allocation;

2. Notes the need to make funding transferable between programmes and sectors in a way that responds to the needs of operators without undermining the predictability and stability of the financial framework;

3. Stresses the importance of the promotion policy in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, which have to deal with high production costs and low investment capacity;

4. Notes that promotion policies should be accessible to all agricultural producers, with a particular focus on small and medium-sized enterprises, in order to prevent them from being discouraged by the complexity of bureaucratic and administrative procedures;

5. Stresses the need to continue to earmark specific resources to accompany the export and marketing of products covered by promotion programmes, with a particular focus on third countries, as this would ensure greater visibility and competitiveness of the agricultural sector;

6. Stresses the need to retain modern promotion tools based on consumer demand analysis, and to support targeted communication campaigns that can add value to EU food products;

Links with other EU initiatives

7. Notes that promotion policies respond to the aims of the ‘Buy European Food’ campaign, supporting producers and the EU economy;

8. Notes that promotion policies contribute to the objectives of other European initiatives proposed by the Commission, in particular through support for the marketing of fruit and vegetables;

9. Emphasises that, at the same time, the promotion policy should not be subordinate to other EU policies; is opposed to the introduction of new eligibility criteria for gaining access to such funding, and opposed to possible restrictions on the promotion of certain types of products or categories of products included in the regulation;

Management of actions

10. Welcomes the ‘Enjoy, it’s from Europe’ slogan, which has helped increase the recognisability of European products marketed in third countries;

11. Hopes that the ‘Enjoy, it’s from Europe’ slogan and origin marking can be used together to increase the recognisability of European food products;

12. Notes that simple programmes, managed at individual Member State level, are less flexible in the event of a change than multi programmes managed by the Commission, and it is therefore necessary to ensure Member States show greater flexibility in accepting requests to adapt the programme to market changes;

13. Recommends ensuring greater flexibility in the management of programmes (multi and simple) if they are to be redirected, once launched, to markets other than those initially envisaged;

14. Stresses the importance of concentrating resources on a more limited number of target markets in order to avoid promotional efforts being spread too thinly and to boost the impact of funded campaigns;

15. Notes that the priorities of the annual work programme need to be better adapted to real market demand in order to avoid under-utilisation of budgets in certain sectors, such as organic products;

16. Calls on the Commission to assess whether the flat rate for administrative costs is sufficient to bear the financial burden of programme management;

Assessment, effectiveness and quality of programmes

17. Stresses the need to harmonise promotion programme impact indicators in order to improve the comparability of results and allow for a more accurate assessment of the effectiveness of EU-funded actions;

18. Calls for the development of common guidelines for programme evaluation reports in order to ensure the collection of better-quality data and more effective use of results in defining future priorities;

Economic development in marginal areas

19. Notes that promotion policies can support producers in rural areas, boosting the economy and local development of marginal areas and small and medium-sized enterprises, and it is therefore beneficial to encourage programmes from these areas;

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20. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the European Court of Auditors and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.