The European Commission has adopted simpler rules for EU agri-food promotion policy, reducing administrative and financial requirements for beneficiaries and Member States. The changes will make the programmes easier to implement, and benefit organisations applying for EU funding.
Drawing on 10 years of experience in managing these programmes, the amendment simplifies administrative procedures.
The main changes include:
- More time to conclude contracts: the deadline is extended from 90 to 180 days, giving member states and beneficiaries more time to complete necessary procedures.
- Higher pre-financing: the maximum pre-financing rate increases to 30%, helping in particular smaller beneficiaries with more upfront funding to implement their programmes.
- Fewer reporting requirements: notification obligations to the Commission on the impact of simple programmes are reduced to one final notification.
This is the outcome 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 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 remains subject to adjustments as part of the revision 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 over the long term.
Background
The 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 quality, safety and environmental standards on a competitive global market. Since 2016, more than 650 campaigns have been co-financed by the European Commission with the common signature – ‘Enjoy, it’s from Europe’, strengthening the reputation of EU agri-food products within the Union and around the world. The promotion policy has also accompanied the implementation of free trade agreements (eg. with Japan, South Korea or Canada) and helped with the positive evolution of the EU’s agri-food trade balance in agri-food over the last decade. Promotion can enhance the sector’s resilience by enabling 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.Publication date
