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The European Commission has approved 22 programmes to promote agricultural products in the European Union and in third countries. The total budget of the programmes, the grand majority of which will run for a period of three years, is € 70 million, of which the EU contributes € 35 million. The selected programmes cover quality products registered and protected as PDOs (Protected Designations of Origin), PGIs (Protected Geographical Indications) and TSGs (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed), wines, meat produced under national quality schemes, organic products, milk and milk products, fresh fruit and vegetables, ornamental horticulture, honey and beekeeping products, beef, veal and pig meat, as well as quality poultry meat.
Welcoming today's decision, EU Agriculture & Rural Development Commissioner Dacian Cioloş stated today: "I see the promotion of EU agricultural products on EU and non-EU markets as an important element of policy, especially for quality products. This is why we are preparing a new policy initiative on promotion, for publication in the coming weeks. It is clear to me that the growth in European exports of quality products can play a major role in aiding economic recovery in the EU. Indeed, I shall be travelling to Japan and South Korea next week as part of a further initiative to boost EU exports."
The Commission received 34 applications for funding, and after evaluation has approved 22 programmes targeting the internal market (15) and the third countries (7) as part of the second wave of programme submission for year 2013. Two of the selected programmes were proposed by more than one Member State. Third countries and regions targeted are: North America, Russia, Latin America, Norway, Switzerland, Middle East, Serbia, Montenegro, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.
Thursday November 7, 2013/ Europeann Commission/ European Union.
http://europa.eu/rapid/
