In this article we resume the main feature of the call for proposals recently issued by the executive agency CHAFEA for sustaining the promotion of European agricultural products by SMEs in this field. It is about 2 calls funded by the huge sum of more than 180 million EUR.
The CHAFEA
The Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (CHAFEA) is an Executive Agency set up by the European Commission to manage four EU programmes on its behalf:
- Health Programme;
- Consumer Programme;
- Better Training for Safer Food initiative – BTSF;
- Promotion of Agricultural Products Programme.
Chafea is based in Luxembourg and works in close cooperation with the European Commission.
The AGRIP Programme
The programme managed by CHAFEA is based on the following regulations:
● Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council (EU) No 1144/2014
● Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1829/2015
● Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1831/2015.
There are 2 subprogrammes aimed at funding simple projects and multiprojects. This distinction is relevant as eligibility criteria are different.
In case of simple projects, they can be submitted by one or more proposing organisations which are all from the same Member State.
In case of multiple programmes, the submission must be done and submitted by at least 2 proposing organisations which are from at least 2 Member States or by one or more Union organisations.
SIMPLE programmes are managed by the competent authorities in each EU Member State, under the supervision of the European Commission.
MULTI programmes are managed by Chafea, to which project coordinators representing organisations which are partners of each project, submit reports and deliverables.
The aims of the 2 new calls
the European Commission recently launched the calls for proposals for European agri-food promotion programmes, in the EU and abroad. This year, a special focus is put on promoting products and farming methods that support more directly the European Green Deal objectives, such as organic products, fruit and vegetables and sustainable agriculture.
For 2021, a total budget of €182.9 million is allocated to the promotion of EU agri-food inside and outside the EU.
Out of the total budget, €173.4 million is dedicated to the co-financing of promotion programmes that will be selected among the proposals following the calls published today.
Almost half of the budget (€86 million) dedicated to co-funding promotion programmes will go towards campaigns more directly in line with the European Green Deal ambitions, and in particular the Farm to Fork strategy. This includes promotion programmes on organic products with a total allocated budget of €49 million and on sustainable agriculture with a budget of €18 million. Furthermore, €19.1 million were allocated to the promotion of fruit and vegetables in the context of a balanced diet.
€88.1 million is allocated to promotion programmes in countries outside the EU. This includes programmes targeting countries with high growth potential such as South Korea, Japan, Mexico and Canada. In addition, programmes should also inform l consumers of the various EU quality schemes or promote the EU’s high safety and quality standards as well as the diversity and authenticity of European products.
The selected programmes are expected to boost competitiveness and consumption of EU agri-food products across the globe.
A wide range of bodies, such as trade organisations, producer organisations and agri-food groups responsible for promotion activities are eligible to apply for funding and submit their proposals. Projects will be assessed in particular with regard to sustainability of production and consumption criteria, in line with the climate and environmental objectives of the CAP, the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork strategy.
Proposals should be submitted by 28 April 2021 17:00 CET (Brussels) via the dedicated portal. The Commission will assess the proposals and announce the beneficiaries in the autumn. CHAFEA, the EU’s Consumer, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency, provides a number of tools to help applicants to successfully submit their proposals.
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