Boost for promotion of EU agricultural products as medium-term response to Russian embargo

The Commission has today confirmed its intention to provide an additional €30 million of EU funding for CAP promotion programmes starting in 2015, on top of the €60 million that is foreseen annually in the CAP budget. As these schemes are co-funded, this change is likely to mean an additional 60 million EURO for promotion measures. Aimed at alleviating the impact of the Russian measures against certain EU agricultural products, this additional effort will start with the promotion programmes that need to be submitted by the end of September.

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European Commission announces emergency market support measures for the milk sector

The European Commission has announced today that it will open Private Storage Aid for butter, Skimmed Milk Powder (SMP) and certain cheeses in order to alleviate the impact of Russian restrictions on imports of EU dairy products and to limit the negative effects on the internal market. The Commission has also confirmed that the period for public intervention of butter & SMP will be extended until the end of the year.

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Copa-Cogeca welcomes Launch of Joint Technology Initiative to promote Bio-based Economy in Europe

Copa-Cogeca welcomed today the start of a new joint European Undertaking on Bio-based Industries (BBI) designed to trigger investments and create a competitive market for bio-based products and materials sourced locally and “Made in Europe” and the launch of the first calls.

The EU Commission claimed that €3.7 billion will be injected into the European economy between 2014 and 2024 – €975 million from the European Commission and €2.7 billion from the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) – to develop an emerging bioeconomy sector. Through financing of research and innovation projects, the BBI will create new and novel partnerships across sectors, such as agriculture, agro-food, technology providers, forestry/pulp and paper, chemicals and energy.

The aim of the BBI is to use Europe’s untapped biomass and wastes as feedstock to make fossil-free and greener everyday products. At the heart of it are advanced biorefineries and innovative technologies that will convert renewable resources into sustainable bio-based chemicals, materials and fuels.
Organised in five value chains – that range from primary production to consumer markets – this JTI will help fill the innovation gap between technology development and commercialisation, sustainably realising the potential of bio-based industries in Europe.
Welcoming the move, Copa-Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said “ We are committed to supporting the promising development of the bioeconomy in the EU, which provides an excellent opportunity for green growth for European farmers, forest holders, fishermen and their cooperatives. The bioeconomy promotes growth and provides employment in rural areas. It also enables the production of bioenergy and bio-based materials that go hand in hand with the production of food. We believe that the three  areas that this initiative is focused on: to foster a sustainable biomass supply, to optimise efficient processing via biorefineries and create new value chains and to develop new markets for bio-based products  will contribute to an efficient use of resources and will create more synergies between the different actors in the value chains.’’

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