As the European Parliament's different Committees review the European 2025 budget under the Multiannual financial framework, Freshfel Europe and its Fruit and Vegetables Interbranch Organizations reiterate the crucial role of a well-funded promotion policy and other related instruments to efficiently stimulate fresh produce consumption. An efficient promotion policy is essential in challenging times and is critical for a successful shift towards a plant diet and securing the objective of the Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy.
These organizations are reiterating the crucial role of a well-funded promotion policy and other related instruments to efficiently stimulate fresh produce consumption. In this respect, the European Commission's decision from last spring to disproportionately decrease the promotion budget line for Multi programmes was a completely incoherent move.
Laurent Granding, Chairman of Freshfel Europe's Interbranch division and President of Interfel stated: "We welcome the many amendments proposed by the COMAGRI members of the European Parliament opposing the Commission's proposed budget cut. The amendments also highlighted that the funding for Multi programmes should not only be restored but significantly increased. Organizations from the fresh produce sector have repeatedly shown a strong and growing interest in participating in Multi programme projects across all EU Member States, with a 52% increase in applications between 2023 and 2024. The Commission itself was also encouraging the sector to embark on those projects."
Grandin added: "It is equally important that the European Parliament underlines the need to stimulate consumption among the youngest, which constitute the consumers of the future and are today among the weakest consumers."
As a new legislative term is about to start, it is important that the Commission work programme avoids the mistakes, lack of coherence, and ambiguity of the previous policy governance. Philippe Binard, General Delegate of Freshfel Europe commented: "Regretfully, the last legislative term failed to take the necessary steps to guarantee such a transition and a shift towards healthier food habits, with the risk of favouring ultra-processed plant-based products instead of an actual plant diet based on fruit and vegetables, which can be consumed raw or with minimal processing."
The recent recommendations of the report on the Strategic Dialogue on the Future Agriculture highlighted the importance of a greener plant diet, in which fruit and vegetables play a key role. Freshfel Europe President Salvo Laudani took the opportunity to underline this new opportunity: "The Commission should remove obstacles that prevent stimulating fresh fruit and vegetable consumption as an essential part of Europeans diets. From the last legislative terms, these hurdles included unnecessary red tape, added costs, and complex and unnecessary requirements. Several policy initiatives such as plant protection, packaging, or labelling negatively impacted the freshness, convenience, quality, and marketing of fresh produce, and also damaged the attractiveness and competitiveness of it in the overall food assortments. These excessive restrictions against fruits and vegetables should be replaced by positive discrimination."
For more information:
Freshfel Europe
www.freshfel.org