ANAFRIC, the meat industry business association, has called for the maintenance of a solid budget for the European Union’s agri-food product promotion policy, in view of the reduction in funding envisaged in the European Commission’s draft budget for 2027. The association has conveyed this request to Spain’s Permanent Representation to the EU, ahead of the forthcoming discussion of this issue within the Council, calling for the continuation of a strategic policy for the competitiveness and internationalisation of the European agri-food sector to be defended.
ANAFRIC warns that a reduction in the resources allocated to promotion would have a direct impact on the marketing strategies for agri-food products, both within and outside the European Union, in a context marked by growing international competition and greater sustainability requirements.
Demand for funding that far exceeds the available resources
ANAFRIC particularly highlights the high demand currently recorded for European promotion instruments, which it considers indicative of the confidence and interest these tools generate among European producers.
In this regard, the association warns that a significant reduction in funding, for example, for MULTI programmes could particularly harm countries and beneficiaries that depend on these instruments to develop their campaigns and would increase the pressure on SIMPLE programmes, which are already experiencing high demand.
For this reason, ANAFRIC calls for support for the continuation of an inclusive promotion policy and for the level of funding to match the strategic importance that the European Union itself attaches to the agri-food sector. The association also recalls that this policy must continue to provide balanced and proportionate support to all the sectors that make up a broad and diverse agri-food chain.
