Fresh and processed fruit and vegetable producers are among those who will benefit from a €39 million funding package, the European Commission has announced.
A total of 27 programmes across the EU, which also cover protected status products such as PDO and PGI, as well as flowers, will receive funding for up to three years. The total budget is €77.4m, to which the EU contributes €39m.
Included in those who have received funding is french trade body Interfel, which will receive around €3.1m, while the country's Agence Bio will get €1.7m. No fruit and vegetable schemes won funding from the UK.
EU agriculture commissioner Dacian Ciolos said that the new promotional programmes will enhance Europe’s reputation as a net exporter of agri-food products, while exports are increasing in value faster than volume.
“I am pleased to confirmour support forthese new promotion programmes, including sheepmeat for the first time. I hope they will boost consumption and sales at this difficult time,” he added.
The 27 winning programmes were selected out of 43 proposals targeting the internal market and third countries, in the second wave of funding selection for 2014.
Out of the schemes that will receive funding, 21 target the internal market and six target third countries including North America, Latin America, Middle East, South-East Asia, Japan, North Africa and Turkey.
Two of the accepted programmes are from organisations located in different member states that jointly carry out a promotion campaign.
The EC said that, as a result of the recently reformed promotion policy, joint promotional campaigns between countries will be even more encouraged.
