European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Opening speech of Commissioner Hansen at the Annual Info Days on the Promotion of agricultural products Brussels, 27 January 2026 Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear partners and ambassadors of our rich food culture! Welcome back to Brussels and to the Borschette Congress Centre, where policies are translated into actions and as it is the case today, into opportunities. It...
European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Opening speech of Commissioner Hansen at the Annual Info Days on the Promotion of agricultural products Brussels, 27 January 2026 Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear partners and ambassadors of our rich food culture! Welcome back to Brussels and to the Borschette Congress Centre, where policies are translated into actions and as it is the case today, into opportunities. It is wonderful to see over 200 of you here in person today—and more than twice as many following us online. That, in itself, shows that this is not just a meeting in Brussels, but a moment shared across Europe. After our successful session in 2025, I am very pleased to open these Promotion Policy Info Days with you. Since the publication of the Promotion Policy Call for Proposals last week, many of you have been looking for clarity on its direction, its ambitions, and the tools it puts in your hands. Let me begin with reassuring you: you are exactly where you need to be. Even in a sensitive geopolitical context, our message is clear: Europe stands by its agri-food sector and those who make it thrive. Today is important to make sure that through the forthcoming opportunities, we concretely support the European agrifood sector to remain a leading global exporter and a backbone for our national economies. Our efforts to promote the agrifood sector of the EU with our promotion policy do not take place in a vacuum. They are guided by a clear long-term vision to make sure that the European agriculture and food sector remain competitive and attractive for current and future generations. These Information Days are therefore not only about funding opportunities. They are about how promotion connects with trade, market access, economic diplomacy, simplification, and the Vision for Agriculture and Food. All very relevant in the current geopolitical context. You are the key partners in achieving this vision, and ensuring that promotion will lead to diversifying market opportunities, bringing forward EU Products qualities and values and building strong long-term trade channels. We will have results from the promotion policy only if you engage to make the bridge between policy and consumers, between standards and markets, between Europe and the world. Let me say few words about standards. They are a political choice. Europe has chosen high food standards, including the organic label, Geographical Indications and quality schemes, because they define how we produce and the level of quality we require. We stand behind these standards and we are proud of what we produce. But above all, we choose them because we are convinced this is the way forward. Over the past year, with the Vision for Agriculture and Food, we made a clear choice: to put farmers and producers back at the heart of the system. To recognise that sustainability has three inseparable dimensions economic, environmental and social. Farmers must be able to run viable businesses, to earn a decent living, and to invest in the future. That is why we have focused on cutting unnecessary administrative burden, on a strong CAP budget and policy for the future, and on restoring trust. We delivered with a similar commitment on trade and reciprocity matters, ensuring that European standards are not undermined by imports. Promotion policy fits naturally into this approach. It is how we turn quality into competitiveness. Standards into strength. And pride into opportunity. This is a key year for promotion. In 2026, the Commission will dedicate the highest budget ever for this policy, with €205 million allocated to information and promotion activities, for European agri-food products. This is a clear political signal, announced and supported by the President of the European Commission: promotion policy is a strategic investment. It is also the context in which the Commission will launch the European Food campaign (with a budget of €35 million) across our 27 Member States. The campaign is work in progress and will be designed along the following three objectives: First, motivating Europeans to privilege the consumption of EU agri-food products. Second, raising awareness and triggering a sense of pride in the high quality of EU agri-food products among consumers, as an integral part of their way of life. Third, creating a feeling of belonging and stronger bonds with the farmers' community, generating positive momentum and trust around the agri-food sector as a whole. As the campaign is being shaped, the Commission very much welcomes contributions and input from stakeholders, to ensure that the campaign resonates on the ground and reflects the diversity and strength of Europe's agri-food sector. This call is for you, who carry Europe's agri-food excellence every day. We want your energy to go into building markets, not managing complexity, which is why we are reducing unnecessary administrative burdens. We know how demanding it is to prepare a strong application. That is precisely why these Information Days exist, to ensure that you leave with every tool, every clarification and every confidence you need. For agri-food operators, a Free Trade Agreement is not the finish line. It is the starting block of a hurdles race. What matters is how we turn agreements into real and fair business opportunities. This is where promotion policy plays a key role here, not only by opening markets, but by supporting reciprocity and a level playing field. European producers operate under high standards. on safety, sustainability, animal welfare and traceability. Those standards are not negotiable. Promotion policy helps ensure that, whether in the internal market or in third countries, quality is recognised and rewarded, and European products are not undermined by imitation or unfair competition. Our agri-food economic diplomacy missions are part of this effort, reaching markets worldwide. We know that many participating businesses conclude deals within the first year. But beyond individual success stories, promotion initiative does raise the value of the entire sector. When I invited many of you to join me on our first missions, the idea was simple: Europe is strongest when it acts together. Our missions to Japan and Brazil confirmed this approach. They were successful in enabling many new contacts and opening concrete business dialogues, precisely because they combined political engagement with the presence of producers on the ground. This is the same spirit in which we are organising our agri-food diplomacy missions in 2026. The mission to Thailand in May attracted, an unprecedented level of interest, over 200 applications, and a mission to Mexico will follow in the second half of the year. From the very first month of this mandate, we set out a clear long-term direction with a comprehensive Vision for the agri-food sector looking towards 2040. Less than one year on, a significant part of what we committed to is already being delivered: renewed momentum for generational renewal, and a clear rebalancing of policy towards productivity and economic viability. At the same time, we have made simplification a core principle, cutting unnecessary complexity and making rules work better on the ground. We have strengthened the Common Market Organisation to improve transparency, predictability and farmers' bargaining power in the food supply chain. And we have reinforced our commitment to reciprocity, working to ensure that what is banned in Europe does not re-enter through imports. Quality lies at the heart of this vision. As you will discover in the presentations over the coming two days: from, Nordic oats, to Lithuanian honey, promotion policy shows how quality can travel, without losing its soul. Let me conclude where this speech should always end: with you. You, producers, organisations and entrepreneurs, are the backbone of this policy. We provide the tools. We put in place the framework. We carry the vision. But you give it life. And we will continue to stand next to you, politically, strategically and with conviction, so that the merit of European quality products continues to be known, shared and enjoyed everywhere. That is why I encourage you to engage fully with this call, to apply, and to make the most of the opportunities offered by the promotion policy. Make full use of these two days, ask questions, exchange with your peers, challenge us, and refine your ideas. Because “Enjoy, it's from Europe” is not just a slogan. It is a commitment. It is a sense of pride. And together, we will make it happen. Make the most of these two days. This event is for you. SPEECH/26/235
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