Austrian MEP Alexander Bernhuber (PPE) has raised concerns that the EU's agricultural product promotion programme (AGRIP) structurally disadvantages smaller Member States by operating solely through competitive calls without national budget allocations or geographical balance criteria. The written question, submitted on 8 April 2026, targets the European Commission, urging it to address the underrepresentation of Member States with fewer geographical indications (PDO/PGI/TSG) and less professionalised trade organisations.
The question highlights that AGRIP, unlike Horizon Europe or cohesion policy, lacks any form of national envelope or ring-fencing for underrepresented countries. Bernhuber specifically points to the programme's representativeness threshold—requiring coverage of at least 50% of producers or marketable production—as a barrier for smaller trade bodies. He asks whether the Commission has considered introducing partial national allocations or widening measures similar to those in Horizon Europe.
This parliamentary question signals a push for greater equity in EU funding distribution, potentially impacting stakeholders such as smaller Member States' agricultural producers, trade organisations, and the Commission's DG AGRI. The Commission must respond within approximately six weeks, and its answer will indicate whether it acknowledges these structural disadvantages and is open to reforming AGRIP's allocation mechanism.
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