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 was one of a set of measures proposed by the Commission in July 2009 to address the difficult market situation faced by the dairy sector (see IP/09/1172 ). The Commission committed itself to adopt an additional round of dairy product promotion programmes on the internal market.

"I'm pleased to see that the dairy market situation has improved since last summer, which is to a large extent thanks to the measures we introduced," said Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development. "I hope that these extra promotional schemes will underpin this improvement. But I also think it's important to do all we can to promote dairy products in general, because they form an important part of a balanced, healthy diet."

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.

Source: flex-news-food.com