Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/70 of 21 November 2024 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1829 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1144/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on information provision and promotion measures concerning agricultural products

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1144/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on information provision and promotion measures concerning agricultural products implemented in the internal market and in third countries and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 3/2008 [^ntr1-L_202500070EN.000101-E0001], and in particular Article 7(2), Article 13(1), second subparagraph, and Article 15(8) thereof,

Whereas:

• (1) Based on the experience gained during the implementation of the information provision and promotion programmes concerning agricultural products, it has become evident that the agri-food sector bodies entrusted, by the Member State concerned, with a clearly defined public service mission to provide information on, and to promote, agricultural products, are considered representative of the sectors concerned by the programme. Therefore, Article 1(1), point (d), of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1829 [^ntr2-L_202500070EN.000101-E0002], which requires agri-food sector bodies to demonstrate representativeness of the sectors with other means than entrustment of a clearly defined public service mission to provide information on, and to promote, agricultural product, as it is required by Article 7(1), point (d), of Regulation (EU) No 1144/2014, is no longer necessary.

• (2) The conditions under which proposing organisations may submit a proposal for an information and promotion programme concerning agricultural products should encourage wide access by proposing organisations. Those conditions should also ensure that proposing organisations do not receive support for more than two information and promotion programmes on the same product or scheme, carried out on the territory of the same target country, or part thereof, either consecutively or in parallel. To this end, the rule prohibiting an organisation from receiving support for the same information and promotion programme carried out in the same geographical market for more than two consecutive occasions contained in Article 1(4) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1829, should be amended.

• (3) Based on the experience gained during the implementation of the information provision and promotion programmes concerning agricultural products, the conditions to prevent conflicts of interests should be strengthened. Therefore, proposing organisations should be required to ensure, during the preparation of the proposal submitted for evaluation pursuant to Article 11 and Article 17 of Regulation (EU) No 1144/2014, as well as during the implementation of a programme, the absence of any conflict of interests.

• (4) In addition, with a view to reinforcing the prevention of conflicts of interests, the conditions governing competitive procedures for the selection of implementing bodies should require proposing organisations to inform Member States about measures taken to further strengthen the impartial and objective selection of bodies responsible for implementing simple programmes.

• (5) According to Article 4 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1829, the grants are to take the form of reimbursement of eligible costs actually incurred by the proposing organisation. In order to bring about simplification and decrease the administrative burden in the financial management of the programmes, an alternative method for calculation of eligible costs based on the amounts established by way of lump sums should be introduced in that Article.

• (6) Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1829 should be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1829 is amended as follows:

• (1) Article 1 is amended as follows:

• (a) in paragraph 1, point (d) is deleted;

• (b) paragraph 4 is replaced by the following:

‘4.   With the exception of programmes carried out to restore normal market conditions in the event of serious market disturbance, loss of consumer confidence or other specific problems, a proposing organisation shall not receive support for more than two information and promotion programmes on the same product or scheme, carried out in parallel or consecutively on the territory of the same target country, or part thereof. After having received support for two information and promotion programmes carried out in parallel or consecutively on the same product or scheme, the proposing organisation may only receive support for information and promotion programmes where the following two conditions are fulfilled:

• (i) the proposing organisation applies for a new programme after the end of the implementation of the previous programmes; and

• (ii) the starting date of the implementation of the new programme shall be at least 12 months after the end of the implementation of the previous programmes.

For the purpose of the first subparagraph, two information and promotion programmes are carried out in parallel when their implementation periods overlap entirely or partly, and they are carried out consecutively when the implementation of the second programme started less than 12 months after the end of the implementation of the first programme.’

;

• (c) paragraph 5 is added:

‘5.   The proposing organisation shall ensure the absence of any conflict of interests during the preparation of a proposal submitted for evaluation pursuant to Article 11 and Article 17 of Regulation (EU) No 1144/2014, as well as during the implementation of the programme.’

;

• (2) in Article 2, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:

‘1.   Proposing organisations must select bodies responsible for implementing simple programmes ensuring best value for money and the absence of any conflict of interests. In doing so, proposing organisations must take all measures, including during the preparation of the proposal, to prevent any situation where the impartial and objective implementation of the programme is compromised for reasons involving economic interest, political or national affinity, family or emotional ties or any other shared interest.

Proposing organisations shall inform Member States about the measures taken to ensure best value for money when selecting the bodies responsible for implementing simple programmes and the absence of any conflict of interests, before the conclusion of the contracts for the implementation of simple programmes.’

;

• (3) Article 4 is amended as follows:

• (a) in paragraph 1, the following subparagraphs are added:

‘By way of derogation from the first subparagraph of this paragraph, the criteria indicated under points (a) and (d) of that subparagraph shall not apply to lump sums.

By way of derogation from the first subparagraph of this paragraph, the criteria indicated under points (b), (c), (e) and (f) of that subparagraph shall apply to lump sums for the purpose of the evaluation of proposals pursuant to Article 11 of Regulation (EU) No 1144/2014.’;

• (b) the following paragraphs 4 and 5 are added:

‘4.   The call for proposals referred to in Article 8(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1144/2014 shall specify which form of grant is considered as eligible for Union funding among the following:

• (a) reimbursement of eligible costs actually incurred by a beneficiary during the implementation of the programme, with the exception of costs relating to final reports and evaluation as well as of reimbursement of indirect eligible costs as referred to in paragraph 3;

• (b) lump sums.

1. The proposing organisation shall establish the amounts for the grant referred to in paragraph 4, point (b), in one of the following ways:

• (a) a fair, equitable and verifiable calculation method based on:

• (i) statistical data, other objective information or an expert judgement;

• (ii) verified historical data of individual beneficiaries; or

• (iii) the application of the usual cost accounting practices of individual beneficiaries;

• (b) in accordance with the rules for application of corresponding lump sums applicable in Union policies for similar activities;

• (c) in accordance with the rules for application of corresponding lump sums applied under schemes for grants funded entirely by the Member State for similar activities.’

.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 21 November 2024.

For the Commission

The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN

[^ntr1-L_202500070EN.000101-E0001]: OJ L 317, 4.11.2014, p. 56, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2014/1144/oj.

[^ntr2-L_202500070EN.000101-E0002]: Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1829 of 23 April 2015 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1144/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on information provision and promotion measures concerning agricultural products implemented in the internal market and in third countries (OJ L 266, 13.10.2015, p. 3, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2015/1829/oj).

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2025/70/oj

ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)