EU Agricultural Product Support Programmes

EU co-financed support programmes exist to help EU Member States to promote their agricultural products. The Czech Republic, like other EU Member States, is entitled to subsidies from EU funds to promote agricultural products, both on the internal market and on the markets of the third countries. However, there is no statutory entitlement to such financial support. These support programmes are designed to improve the marketing and sales of EU Member States’ agricultural and food products. EU food and agricultural product support programmes are based on the principles outlined below:

• Proposing organisations (professional organisations – unions, associations, etc.) submit programmes to the competent body, the common market organisation and the State Aid Department of the State Agricultural Intervention Fund (the “SZIF”) for processing. The competent body for financing matters and project support under the commodity and pro-export policy is the Ministry of Agriculture.
• Once initial administration procedure has been carried out by the competent body in cooperation with the proposing organisation, the programmes are referred to the European Commission by a set deadline for assessment. The European Commission may seek additional consultations with the EU Member State. The European Commission then notifies the EU Member States of programmes earmarked for acceptance or rejection (with reasons).
• EU Member States may submit programmes for the promotion of agricultural products both on the internal market and/or in the third-country markets.
• Programmes may be submitted either by an EU Member State on its own or by a grouping of EU Member States. Programmes may be drawn up and implemented for a one-, two- or three-year period. The European Union prioritises multi-national and multi-annual programmes.
• For these programmes, there is a co-financing mechanism that involves three funds’ resources, with 50% programme-cost reimbursement covered by the EU, 20% by the proposing organisation and 30% by the EU Member State. The coverage provided by the EU Member State may range from 0% to 30% of the programme cost, depending on central government budget resources.

Support programme administration system – glossary

Competent body
In the Czech Republic, the competent body responsible for the submission of programmes is the SZIF Common Market Organisation and State Aid Department. The competent body is in contact with the European Commission and the relevant DG AGRI department. The competent body is responsible for submitting programme proposals and corresponds with the European Commission on the programme approval process, the monitoring of the various different programme stages and approval of programme promotion information outputs, such as graphics, printed materials, audiovisual materials and promotional items.

Proposing organisation
An EU Member State’s proposing organisation is the organisation, association or union that draws up programme proposals and submits them to the competent body. The proposing organisation should represent members’ interests, with due consideration for the requirements of the agriculture production sector. When submitting programme proposals, a proposing organisation must organise tendering procedure in line with national public procurement legislation in order to select an implementing body responsible for the implementation of different support programme stages following approval of the programme by the European Commission. In the wake of such approval, the proposing organisation must arrange for the financing of support programmes, which may include the opening of special accounts, reporting, and documentation for ex-post monitoring checks, inspections and audits by representatives of the European Commission and the competent body.

Implementing body
The implementing body is a legal entity (a company or association of companies) selected by the proposing organisation in tendering procedure to implement the various stages of a support programme. The implementing body may draw on the services of subcontractors to implement a support programme only if this is arranged contractually between the proposing organisation and implementing body.

Application form
This is a form prepared by the European Commission (see Annex) to harmonise the procedure for the submission of support programmes. The proposing organisation is required to fill in the form with the necessary data, including the programme title, information on the proposing organisation, programme details (the relevant product and area of activity, the programme type, the EU Member State, the target market, the programme duration, the expected impact, data on the implementing body, and budget and programme details with a view to meeting targets in keeping with EU requirements and principles).

Model contract
This is a European Commission form (see Annex) designed to establish a contractual commitment between the competent body and the proposing organisation within the time limit prescribed by EC regulations on the administration system for support programmes. The aim of the contract is to address the support programme’s financing system. The competent body sends one model contract to the European Commission.

Financing system

The financing system for support programmes is generally structured as follows:

• 50% European Commission
• 20% proposing organisation
• 30% competent body (State)

The financing of fresh fruit and vegetable support programmes for schoolchildren is as follows:

• 60% EU
• 20% proposing organisation
• 20% competent body (State)

The financing of alcohol-related support measures applied in the European Union, intended for the dissemination of information on the reasonable consumption of alcohol and on the harmful effects of excessive alcohol consumption, is as follows:*

• 60% EU
• 20% proposing organisation
• 20% competent body (State)

The budgets for the individual programmes are set out in the draft programme and in the model contract. Support programmes may be submitted by an EU Member State on its own or by a grouping of EU Member States (as multi-national support programmes).

* These measures are not managed by the State Agricultural Intervention Fund.

Timetable for the submission of support programmes

28 February 2015 (deadline under existing conditions) – the proposing organisation may submit a programme proposal to the competent body in the EU Member State for an assessment and observations.

30 April 2015 – deadline for the EU Member State to submit the support programme proposal to the European Commission.

30 November 2015 – the European Commission approves or rejects the support programme proposal.

Arrangements for the submission and financing of programmes in the Czech Republic

The Ministry of Agriculture, via its commodity and economic units, is responsible for assessing support programmes. Following the Ministry of Agriculture’s assessment of the support programme, the State Agricultural Intervention Fund (SZIF) submits the programme to the European Commission in keeping with the SZIF’s Guidelines for the Submission of EU Co-financed Agricultural Product Support Programmes (see downloads).

1. Countries
   • Former Yugoslav Republic Macedonia
   • Australia
   • Bosnia and Herzegovina
   • China
   • South Korea
   • India
   • Japan
   • Kosovo
   • Montenegro
   • Norway
   • New Zealand
   • Russia
   • Serbia
   • Switzerland
   • Turkey
   • Ukraine
   • Albania
   • Armenia
   • Azerbaijan
   • Belarus
   • Georgia
   • Kazakhstan
   • Moldova
   • Uzbekistan
2. Geographic areas
   • Africa
   • North America
   • Latin America
   • South East Asia
   • Middle East

• fresh fruit and vegetables
• processed fruit and vegetables
• fibre flax
• live ornamental horticulture plants and products
• olive oil and table olives
• seed oils
• milk and dairy products, fresh, chilled or frozen meat, produced in accordance with a Community or a national quality scheme
• marking of eggs intended for human consumption
• honey and beekeeping products
• wines with a protected designation of origin or a protected geographical indication, wines with an indication of the wine grape variety
• a graphic symbol for the outermost regions as laid down in the agricultural regulations
• products covered by schemes for protected designations of origin (PDO), protected geographical indications (PGI), traditional specialities guaranteed (TSG) or optional quality terms in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• organic farming in accordance with Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 and products registered according to that Regulation
• sheep meat

• beef and pork, fresh, chilled and frozen; food preparation on the basis of these products
• quality poultry meat
• dairy products
• olive oil and table olives
• wines with a protected designation of origin or a protected geographical indication, wines with an indication of the wine grape variety
• spirits with a protected geographical indication
• fresh and processed fruit and vegetables
• products processed from cereals and rice
• fibre flax
• live plants and ornamental horticulture products
• products covered by the schemes for protected designations of origin (PDO), protected geographical indications (PGI), or traditional specialities guaranteed (TSG) in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012
• organic farming products in accordance with Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91
• sheep meat

In the case of any questions related to this support you can contact Mgr. Helena Poláčková at the Common Market Organization and State Aid Department, phone number +420 222 871 636 or e-mail: propagace_eu@szif.cz.