EU agriculture ministers on 13 July 2026 debated three agenda items: Italy's request to maintain the 2027 EU promotion budget for agri-food products at the 2026 level of €205 million, backed by nine member states; and two Hungarian joint declarations on agricultural crisis management and bioeconomy cooperation from a Visegrad+ meeting. The Commission noted the 2027 allocation was not final and would be confirmed in October, while many delegations urged avoiding disproportionate cuts. Italy (PfE) warned of a major cut inconsistent with resilience; France stressed geopolitical need for market positioning; Poland (ECR) linked promotion to competitiveness under new trade deals; Germany questioned the programme's effectiveness. On crisis tools, Hungary (PfE) pushed for simpler, flexible tools and a broader EU unity safety net covering natural disasters, backed by Romania, Slovakia, and others. The Commission insisted the safety net remain for market disturbances only, but highlighted work on EU-level risk financing and reinsurance. On bioeconomy, Hungary called for stronger EU recognition of the agricultural value chain; the Commission announced a new EU bioeconomy strategy and R&I initiative for high-biomass regions. The Council took note of all items. The 2027 promotion work programme is due in December 2026. The debate exposed a cleavage between member states seeking to maintain or increase EU spending on agri-food promotion and those questioning its effectiveness, as well as between those wanting broader crisis tools and the Commission's more limited approach. EU farmers and agri-food exporters would benefit from maintained promotion budgets and broader crisis safety nets, while member state agriculture ministries face trade-offs between budget discipline and support for the sector. Bioeconomy actors stand to gain from the announced EU strategy and R&I initiative.
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