VERA – Forward Visions on the European Research Area

VERA is funded by the European Union's FP7 programme for research,
technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no 290705

European strategy for promoting the tastes of Europe

Code: A11

Primary project information

Lead: European Commission
Additional project partners: The paper raises a series of multi-faceted questions and invites all stakeholders - consumers, producers, distributors and official authorities.
Type of activity: Green paper - it gives stakeholders and the public an opportunity to tell the EU what they expect it to do to promote agriculture.
Date conducted: The consultation was opened until 30 September 2011 - concrete option(s) will then be presented in by mid-2012 followed by regulatory proposals possibly by the beginn 2013.
Date of Publication: 14.07.2011
Duration: N/A
Summary: A reform is under way which will ensure, with effect from 2013, that the common agricultural policy (CAP) feeds directly into the Europe 2020 Strategy for intelligent, sustainable and inclusive growth by promoting an agriculture sector which delivers food security, a sustainable use of natural resources and more dynamic rural areas. The Green Paper on promotion measures and information provision for agricultural products opened this debate. The Green Paper is divided into four sections - the European added-value of this policy; objectives and measures to use on the internal EU market, including on local and regional markets; objectives and measures to use on world markets; and broader questions on the content and management of the policy. The various questions raised, 16 in all, contain different aspects and suggestions, aimed at stimulating responses.
Budget: N/A
Research area/market/industry/sector: agricultural and agri-food sector
Main report (full title): GREEN PAPER on promotion measures and information provision for agricultural products: a reinforced value-added European strategy for promoting the tastes of Europe - COM(2011) 436 final

GRAND CHALLENGES

Economic Challenges: create growth in regional and local economies [2], global markets are booming [3], exploit the growth potential of agricultural and agri-food markets [4], involvement of producers in quality systems and the promotion of these products [5], quality indications and promoting their image among consumers [7], promotion measures to illustrate the European production model, one-off interventions in the event of a crisis [8], strengthen its competitive position, exploiting geographical origin and/or brand names more effectively [11]
Economic Challenges Shortlist: create growth in regional and local economies; exploit growth potential of agricultural and agri-food markets; involvement of producers in quality systems and promotion of these products
Geopolitical Challenges: strengthening the link between Europeans and the world of farming [5], respect for the environment and countryside [7]
Geopolitical Challenges Shortlist: strengthening the link between Europeans and the world of farming; respect for the environment and countryside
Societal Challenges: promoting the EU’s very high standards when it comes to food safety, the environment and animal welfare and offering consumers better information on the European production model [4] / The geographical distribution of programmes does not satisfactorily cover the diversity of products and know-how in all EU Member States. [3]
Societal Challenges Shortlist: promoting the EU’s very high standards when it comes to food safety, the environment and animal welfare;
Cross-cutting Challenges: ‘Multi-Country’ or ‘Multi-Product’ initiatives are insufficiently encouraged or seem too complex to carry out within the present framework, reaffirming the social link between consumers and producers and capitalising on the freshness, innovation and nutritional qualities of produce and product awareness [5]
Cross-cutting Challenges Shortlist: encourage 'Multi-Country' or 'Mulit-Product' initiatives; reaffirm social link between consumers and producers;
Other Challenges: sanitation, agricultural product information and promotion policy: strengths and weaknesses of previous measures, raising awareness of quality systems and products with high added value [4], European production standards, animal welfare [7]
Other Challenges Shortlist: improve sanitation, agricultural product information and promotion policy measure; raise awareness of quality systems and products with high added value; assure animal welfare;

Summary of relevant aspects

Background information: The agricultural product information and promotion policy was drawn up at the beginning of the 1980s. It has gradually been extended to include most agricultural and agri-food products at the first processing stage. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) enables better use to be made of the potential of the European agricultural and agrifood sector. Currently, the management of promotional programmes is shared between the Commission and the Member States. A reform (-> focus on: simplifying selection and implementation of programmes) is under way which will ensure, with effect from 2013 that this policy feeds directly into the Europe 2020 Strategy for intelligent, sustainable and inclusive growth by promoting an agriculture sector which delivers food security a sustainable use of natural resources and more dynamic rural areas.

Scenarios

Actions/solutions implied: creation of a European platform for exchanging good practices [8]: providing information under a ‘common generic and European banner’ on the benefits of the Mediterranean diet through a number of products such as olive oil, fruit and vegetables and the moderate consumption of wine / increasing the export capacity of European producers [9]: organize information days, develop interactive internet platforms such as already exist in other countries like the USA or Canada or use new media (Facebook-type media specializing in agricultural promotion measures) and that access be provided to the infrastructure of European stands at international fairs / increasing the synergy between producers and programmes [9]: encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to join forces so that they can reach a critical mass for trading in the external market / helping newcomers: by extending eligible measures to include exploratory work (one-year trial campaigns or market studies) / extending access to structures other than professional organisations, such as companies or chambers of commerce / information policy for agricultural and agri-food products: milk and fruit in schools; promotional instruments in third countries for wine; information and promotion measures laid down within operational programmes for fruit and vegetable producer organisations [10]
Who benefits from the actions taken?: farmers, producers of agri-food products, non-governmental organisations, processors, retailers, distributors, wholesalers, importers, exporters, consumers, public bodies and any other interested parties

Meta information

Time horizon: 2020 (feeds into the Europe 2020 Strategy)
Methods: The Commission invited any organisations who wish to present their observations as part of the public consultation process to provide the Commission and the public with information explaining who and what interests they represent. If an organisation decides not to provide this information, the Commission’s stated policy is to consider this contribution to be an individual contribution (for standards applying to consultations, see COM(2002) 704, and the communication on the follow-up to the Green Paper ‘European Transparency Initiative’, see COM(2007) 127 of 21 March 2007). The consultation period ended on 30 September 2011.
Target Group: EU Member States
Objectives: The aim of this document is to open this debate by speaking to all of the players concerned with the objective of shaping a new promotion and information strategy which will be targeted and ambitious in scope in order to draw greater benefit from the considerable esources of Europe's farming and agri-food sector.
Countries covered: 27 member states
Geographic scope:

Entry Details

Rapporteur: Claudia Steindl
Rapporteur's organization: AIT
Entry Date: 15.05.2012