Information and promotion actions for agricultural products in third countries and on the internal market

2004/0073(CNS)

PURPOSE : to improve the promotion of agricultural products in third countries and on the internal market and report on the application of Council Regulations 2702/1999/EC and 2826/2000/EC.

LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Regulation 2060/2004/EC amending 2702/1999/EC on measures to provide information on, and to promote, agricultural products in third countries and Regulation 2826/2000/EC on information and promotion actions for agricultural products on the internal market.

CONTENT : This Regulation revises certain provisions of Regulations 2702/1999/EC and 2826/2000/EC in the light of experience gained with their implementation. It harmonises the provisions concerning the submission and selection of proposals, the monitoring of the programmes and consultation and technical assistance. This leads to simplified management of the two regimes. In particular:

- proposing organisations are given the possibility of implementing certain parts of the programmes themselves and selecting implementation bodies at a later stage in the procedure;

- the Regulation provides minimum and maximum effective cost limits for programmes submitted;

- the Commission's ability to initiate promotion and information measures in third countries is extended in cases where such measures have a Community-wide interest or no appropriate measures have been submitted by professional or inter-professional organisations. The Commission is also given the ability to initiate, on the internal market, information measures related to Community regimes concerning the quality and labelling of agricultural products and foodstuffs;

- in the light of experience gained with the implementation of the degressive contribution from 60 to 40 % in cases of multiannual programmes, the provisions concerning the Community contribution to such programmes are simplified, while maintaining the level of the Community contribution at 50 % of the effective cost of each programme;

- the share of the contribution of the Member State(s) and the proposing organisation(s) is made more flexible, leaving, however, a minimum obligatory financing to be borne by the proposing organisation;

- it is important that the materials which are used in information and promotion campaigns are checked as regards their conformity with Community legislation. The Regulation clarifies the already existing monitoring obligations of Member States in that respect;

- Member State(s) contributions to programmes are made in the context of a specific procedure. The payments made by Member States and/or the proposing organisations may come from parafiscal charges or compulsory contributions. Member States are therefore exempted from the obligation to notify such national contributions as state aid in order to simplify the administrative proceedings concerned, as these contributions are not be considered as state aid within the meaning of Articles 87, 88 and 89 of the Treaty;

- Ad hoc working groups of representatives from Member States and/or experts with particular expertise in promotion and publicity matters can usefully advise the Commission in developing the strategy and the implementation measures for the regime. The Regulation provides for the possibility of consulting such groups;

- Regulation 2702/1999/EC continues to apply after 31 December 2004. This Regulation applies from 1 January 2005.

ENTRY INTO FORCE : 09/12/2004.