The EU is launching a record funding for the promotion of agri-food products in 2026

The European Commission will allocate 205 million euros in 2026 for the promotion of European agri-food products, marking the largest funding of its kind to date. Beyond marketing, the initiative reflects an economic and political strategy aimed at supporting farmers, strengthening exports, and defending European standards in an increasingly intense global competition.

Brussels, December 17, 2025 – The European Commission has announced a record funding of 205 million euros for the promotion of European agri-food products in 2026, as part of the annual work program for promotion policy. This is the largest budget allocation ever made by the EU for this objective and reflects the growing strategic importance given to the agri-food sector.

In short

The European Commission allocates 205 million € in 2026 for the promotion of agri-food products.

Up to 160 million € will be granted in the form of grants.

The EU launches a new campaign: "Buying European Food Products".

The funds target both the internal market and strategic external markets.

Project calls will be launched in January 2026 by the REA Executive Agency.

Of the total amount, up to 160 million euros will be distributed in the form of grants to producer organizations, trade associations, and other eligible actors in the sector. The funds are divided between the EU internal market and countries outside the Union, focusing on regions with high growth potential for European exports, such as the United Kingdom, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and North America.

A central element of the 2026 program is the launch of a new pan-European campaign, "Buying European Food Products", announced by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in her State of the Union address. The campaign aims to raise consumer awareness about the quality of European agri-food products, promote the role of farmers, and strengthen the link between producers and consumers in all 27 member states.

Alongside grants, the program also includes initiatives directly managed by the European Commission, with a budget of up to 10 million euros. These include high-level economic missions to third countries, information campaigns, the EU's participation in major international agri-food fairs, and the development of market access guides for exporters.

The promotion policy is framed within a broader context of the EU's strategy for agriculture and food, which treats the promotion of agri-food products as a key tool for the Union's global competitiveness. The Commission emphasizes that this policy contributes not only to increasing exports but also to diversifying markets, strengthening the resilience of the sector, and supporting European standards of quality, food safety, and sustainability.

The European Research Executive Agency (REA) will launch two calls for proposals on January 22, 2026: one for "simple" programs involving organizations from a single member state, and one for "multinational" programs that bring together organizations from at least two member states or at the European level. The calls will be open for three months, and an information day will take place in Brussels and online at the end of January.

Since 2016, the EU has co-financed over 650 promotion campaigns under the brand "Enjoy, it’s from Europe", contributing to strengthening the reputation of European agri-food products in both internal and international markets. The agri-food sector remains one of the few areas with a positive trade balance for the EU, and every billion euros in exports to third countries supports approximately 12,000 jobs in the Union.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/stiri/ue-lanseaza-o-finantare-record-pentru-promovarea-produselor-agroalimentare-in-2026