Parma: The agri-food promotion policy of the European Union moved closer to a Parliament position on 5 October 2026, when the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development backed an own-initiative report that defends the scheme against budget cuts. Members voted 37 in favour and 7 against, with Greens/EFA and The Left opposed, and Maria Noichl of the Socialists and Democrats abstained. The plenary is expected to adopt the text on 19 October.

Italian EPP member Salvatore De Meo wrote the report, and his main message is financial. The Commission’s draft 2027 budget foresees a significant cut in promotion spending, so the committee asks that the agri-food promotion policy keep at least its 2026 level. Funding stood at €132 million in 2025 and rose to €205 million in 2026, which means the request protects a sharp recent increase rather than a modest line.

The report also tackles how the money reaches farmers. It wants the Commission to preserve simple programmes, which let small producers, producer organisations and cooperatives apply on their own, while it keeps a suitable amount for multi programmes that bring several member states together and raise international visibility. Members add that the agri-food promotion policy should give more help to cooperatives and collectives that represent small farms and micro-farms.

Trade features prominently in the text. The committee wants the Union to keep its export support for third countries, pointing to the recent trade agreements, and it asks for a stronger fight against counterfeiting of European food and drink. Producers in places such as Parma, where protected hams and cheeses travel far beyond Italy, depend on labels that buyers recognise and trust.

On messaging, members want the Commission to ease its limits on the slogan “Enjoy, it’s from Europe” in co-financed campaigns. They argue that national origin often matters more to consumers than a generic European reference. The report therefore asks campaigns to combine the European message with national, regional and quality labels such as PDO, PGI and TSG, and to promote the logo of the outermost regions.

Eligibility is the most sensitive point for the agri-food promotion policy. Since 2021, part of the funding has gone to categories such as sustainability and healthy diets. The report opposes new eligibility criteria and the exclusion of product categories, and it says that quality wines and red meat must not be stigmatised. It also asks the Commission to consider separating legumes from the fruit and vegetables category.

Farm Europe and Eat Europe, two think tanks, welcomed the committee’s position. The next test is the Commission’s 2027 draft budget, because only that document will show whether the demands reach the money. An own-initiative report cannot force a spending decision, so Parliament’s leverage will come from the budget talks that follow the plenary vote.

For producers, the practical question is whether campaigns planned for 2027 will have the funds to run. The 19 October vote will show how wide the majority behind the agri-food promotion policy really is.