COVID-19: Commission launches two additional calls for promotion programme proposals

To support the agri-food sector in the recovery of the COVID-19 crisis, the Commission launched two calls for proposals for promotion programmes. These calls complement the exceptional market-specific support measures recently adopted by the European Commission.

Fruit and vegetables, wine, live plants, milk and milk products, and potatoes for transformation are the sectors eligible for the promotion support of €10 million (€5 million for multi programmes and €5 million for simple programmes). These calls target the sectors most hit by the crisis. The promotion programmes will have to be implemented in the EU or any third country, and for a duration of one year.

This is the first time that the Commission launches such calls, possible in case of serious market disturbance, and when promotion actions are seen as an adequate response to the situation. The COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on specific agri-food sectors, mainly due to rapid changes in demand and to the closure of restaurants, bars and cafés across the EU.

The two calls will be opened until 27 August 2020. One call is dedicated to ‘simple’ programmes, which can be submitted by one or more organisations from the same EU country. The other is for ‘multi’ programmes, which can be submitted by at least two national organisations from at least two member states, or by one or more European organisations.