aid for the advertising of agricultural products

Agricultural Marketing Assistance Program

Ordinance of 9 June 2006 on Support for the Promotion of Sales of Agricultural Products | Agricultural Sales Promotion Ordinance [ ASPO ]

Aid for advertising agricultural products may be authorised if the advertising campaign is centred on quality products – recognised EU designations (such as registered designation of origin – protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI)) or for national or regional quality labels.

normally, producers and traders would be expected to bear the costs of advertising themselves, as part of their normal economic activities; therefore, if aid granted for the advertising of agricultural products is not to be regarded as operating aid but compatible with the common market under Article 87(3)(c) of the Treaty, it should not interfere with trade to an extent contrary to the common interest and should facilitate the development of certain economic activities or of certain economic areas.

nevertheless, where an agricultural or other product or a foodstuff possesses particular characteristics which are due to its geographical origin, it is possible for the producers of the product or foodstuff to apply, through the competent authorities of the Member State concerned, for registration at Community level of a protected designation of origin (PDO) or a protected geographical indication (PGI) in accordance with the provisions of Council Regulation No 510/2006 of 20 March 2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs ; the granting of registration means t ...[+++]hat the Community has recognised the existence of very close links between the specific qualities of the product concerned and its geographical origin; in such cases, the common interest does not oppose the granting of aid for advertising which includes a reference to the origin of the product concerned, provided that the references to origin correspond exactly to those references which have been registered by the Community; similar considerations apply to other designations of origin which are protected under Community legislation, for example wines produced in specified regions in accordance with Articles 54–58 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 May on the common organisation of the market in wine

Aid for advertising of agricultural products is covered by the scope of the present guidelines whereas aid for advertising of Non Annex I products are covered by horizontal rules on State aid