The European Commission has approved 13 programmes in 11 Member States to promote milk and milk products in the European Union. The total budget of the programmes, running for a period of three years, is € 35.8 million of which the EU contributes € 17.9 million.

This support for dairy sector was one of a set of measures proposed by the Commission in July 2009 to address the difficult market situation faced by milk productors. The Commission committed itself to adopt an additional round of dairy product promotion programmes on the internal market.

13 programmes of promotion of dairy products in 11 different Member States of the European Union has been selected by the European Commision. The EU will fund them with € 17.9 million, and the total budget of these three-year-long programmes is € 35.9 million.

Background

On the basis of the Regulation on information provision and promotion measures for agricultural products on the internal market and in third countries, the EU can finance up to 50% of these measures. The remaining budget is met by the professional or inter-branch organisations which proposed the measures and/or by the Member States concerned.

A special round of dairy product promotion programmes on the internal market was proposed in July 2009. Professional agricultural organisations had to submit their programmes before 15 October to the Member States, to be forwarded to the Commission before the end of October. The Commission has now selected the eligible programmes.