REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of Article 45 of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on information measures relating to the common agricultural policy
Date: 2017-12-19
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: EU financing, EU initiative, European Commission, co-financing, common agricultural policy, dissemination of EU information, public awareness campaign

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 19.12.2017  COM(2017) 777 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of  Article 45 of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on information measures relating to the common agricultural policy {SWD(2017) 459 final}  
 
 
I. 

INTRODUCTION 

This  report  concerns  the  implementation  of  information  measures  relating  to  the  common 
agricultural  policy  (CAP)  for  2015  and  2016,  under  Article  45  of  Regulation  (EU)  No 
1306/2013  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  17 December  2013  on  the 
financing,  management  and  monitoring  of  the  common  agricultural  policy1(hereinafter  'the 
Regulation'). 

Article 45(1) first subparagraph of the Regulation states that information  measures financed 
"shall aim, in particular, to help explain, implement and develop the CAP and to raise public 
awareness  of  its  content  and  objectives  to  reinstate  consumer  confidence  following  crises 
through information campaigns, to inform farmers and other parties active in rural areas and 
to promote the European model of agriculture, as well as to help citizens understand it. Article 
45(2)  last  subparagraph  states  that  these  measures  "shall  also  contribute  to  the  corporate 
communication of the Union's political priorities in so far as those priorities are related to the 
general objectives of this Regulation". 

Information measures financed fall into two main categories: 

-  Those  submitted  by  third  party  organisations  for  co-financing  under  the  European 

Agricultural Guarantee Fund - EAGF (grants); 

-  Those  at  the  initiative  of  the  Commission  and  financed  at  a  rate  of  100%  under  the 
European Agricultural Guarantee Fund - EAGF (direct actions/public procurement). 

According  to  Article  45(5)  of  the  Regulation,  a  report  on  the  implementation  of  the 
information measures under the Regulation shall be presented to the European Parliament and 
the Council every two years. This is the seventh such report2. 

In the 2015-2016 period, the Commission continued to develop its corporate communication 
activities  on  the  basis  of  its  ten  political  priorities,  with  a  special  emphasis  on  investment, 
economic  growth  and  jobs.  Resources  were  pooled  from  different  spending  programmes  in 
order  to  fund  communication  priorities  based  on  the  general  objectives  of  the  European 
Union. In 2015 (as in 2014), Commission departments, including DG Agriculture and Rural 
Development (DG AGRI), contributed to the execution of this joint approach. From the end 
of  2015  and  throughout  2016,  efforts  were  intensified  to  inform  stakeholders  and  a  wider 
audience about the tangible benefits delivered by the EU for citizens.The focus was on raising 
public awareness about the EU as a whole, its role, values, political priorities and its work to 
address current challenges. 

This  corporate  approach  to  communication  activity  is  central  to  DG  AGRI's  external 
communication  strategy  for  the  2016-2020  period.  Within  the  framework  of  this  strategy, 
specific information measures for each year are defined in  annual action plans.In designing 
its information measures for the 2015-2016 period, DG AGRI also took into consideration the 
recommendations  of  the  external  evaluation  of  information  measures  on  the  CAP,  of  June 
20153.  

1 Official Journal of the European Union, OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 549. 

2 COM (2003) 235 final of 8.5.2003; COM (2007) 324 final of 13.6.2007; COM (2009) 237 final of 20.5.2009;  
COM (2011) 294 final of 25.5.2011; COM(2013) 645 final of 20.9.2013;COM(2016) 83final of 23.2.2016. 

3 http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/evaluation/market-and-income-reports/information-policy-2015_en.htm 

2 

 
                                                 
 
 
 
 
The annexes mentioned in the text are to be found in the Commision Staff Working document 
accompanying this report. 

II. 

BUDGET 

The budget made available for information  measures under budget line 05 08 06, originally 
foreseen in the financing decision, was EUR 8  million in 2015; and EUR 8 million in 2016 
(including  the  4  million  EUR  contribution  of  DG  AGRI  to  the  Commission's  corporate 
communication campaign). The provisional breakdown between public procurement (actions 
taken at the initiative of the Commission) and grants (co-financed actions) was as follows: 

2015:  public  procurement  (5  million  EUR)  (  62.5%  )  –  Grants  (3  million  EUR)  (37.5  %) 
2016: public procurement (1.5 million EUR) (18.75%) – Grants (2.5 million EUR) (31.25%) 
–  4  million  EUR  co-delegated  to  DG  Communication  (DG  COMM)  for  the  corporate 
communication campaign (50%).  

Execution  of  the  2015  measures  reached  91,18  %  in  terms  of  commitments  and  88,60%  in 
terms of payments.  

Execution  of  the  2016  measures  reached  98,29  %  in  terms  of  commitments;  the  figures  for 
payments  on  2016  measures  were  not  yet  finalised  at  the  time  of  drafting  this  report  as 
payments could still be made until 31 December 2017. 

Key  results  and  progress  towards  the  achievement  of  the  objectives  of  the  Commission  in 
relation to  communication,  and  specifically  on the  corporate  comuncation  actions, are  to  be 
found in the annual activity  report for 2016 of DG COMM4. 

III. 

BREAKDOWN OF ACTIONS FINANCED 

The reform of the common agricultural policy agreed in 2013 entered into force on 1 January 
2015. There was a strong emphasis  in the reporting period on information measures  to raise 
public    understanding  of  the  reformed  CAP  and  its  contribution  to  meeting  the  challenges 
identified  in  the  Commision's  Europe  2020  strategy,  in  terms  of  a  more  competitive  and 
sustainable  policy  for  agriculture  and  rural  development.  Efforts  were  made  to  disseminate 
information  on  the  contribution  of  the  policy  to  employment  in  the  agro-food  sector, 
delivering  environmental  benefits,  boosting  knowledge  and  innovation,  and  promoting 
resource efficiency. 

The EU agricultural sector faced major challenges in the period during which the reform was 
being  negotiated.  Farm  price  volatility  and  market  uncertainty,  combined  with  geopolitical 
developments,  prompted  a  vigorous  public  debate  about  the  economic  prospects  facing 
agriculture  and  rural  areas.  Challenges,  such  as  the  role  of  the  sector  in  addressing  climate 
change, together with its ability to take advantage of new opportunities, for example, in the 
areas  of  health,  trade  or  the  bio-economy  needed  to  be  further  considered.  Addressing  the 
future  challenges  confronting  the  sector  were  therefore    also  central  to  the  development  of 
information measures on the CAP during this period. 

4 https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/file_import/aar-comm-2016_en_0.pdf (pages 24ff) 

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Efforts  were  intensified  to  further  develop  synergies  with  different  partners  in  the  field  of 
communication  on  agriculture  and  rural  development,  including  stakeholders.  DG  AGRI 
continued  to  deepen  cooperation  with  other  Commission  departments,  the  Commission 
representations in the EU Member States, other EU institutions, as well as networks like the 
Europe Direct Information Centres and European Network for Rural Development. 

Concerning  the  monitoring  and  evaluation  of  information  measures,  DG  AGRI  took  into 
account  the  findings  of  the  external  evaluation  that  procedures  and  practices  related  to  the 
definition of objectives, and monitoring the results and evaluation of impacts of implemented 
communication  actions  should  be  improved.  In  this  regard,  procedures  concerning  the 
planning  and  evaluation  of  information  measures  were  reviewed,  and  guidelines  for  the 
evaluation of communication actions were updated in 2015.  

Grants  (co-financed  information  measures  taken  at  the  initiative  of  third  party 

1. 
organisations) 

Article  45  (information  measures)  of  the  Regulation  envisages  two  types  of  measures  to  be 
funded through grants, annual work programmes or other specific measures presented by third 
parties. Specific information measures refer to information  events limited in time and space 
and implemented on the basis of a single budget. An annual work programme is a set of two 
to  five  specific  information  measures.  For  2015  and  2016,  it  was  decided  (as  in  previous 
years)  to  retain  only  specific  information  measures  for  co-financing,  with  the  aim  of 
simplifying the grants scheme and ensuring coherence between the different communication 
actions. 

For 2015, the call for proposals aimed to provide information on  the  reformed CAP and its 
three  core  elements,  food  safety,  sustainable  management  of  natural  resources,and  the 
development  of  rural  areas5.  For  2016,  it  encouraged  information  actions  on  the  challenges 
ahead  for  agriculture,  including  sustainable  development  and  the  modernisation  of  Europe's 
agriculture and the wider rural economy6. The Commission's political guidelines were central 
in the process of defining the calls for proposals for the grants: 
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/juncker-political-guidelines-
speech_en_0.pdf 

For  both  years,  the  general  public  was  targeted  (in  particular  young  people  in  urban  areas), 
and farmers and others active in rural areas. 

The maximum rate of financing for the measures referred to above was set at 50% of eligible 
costs.  In  2015,  fifteen  measures  were  co-financed,  at  a  50%  rate.  Under  the  2016  call, 
eighteen  measures  were  financed,  making  a  total  of  33  co-financed  actions  for  the  period 
2015-2016.  Grants  were  awarded  for  measures  such  as  information  campaigns  with  a 
significant  trans-national  and  multi-media  element,  and  measures  highlighting  sustainabilty 
with  a  strong  EU  networking  focus.  Other    awareness  raising  measures    run  at  national  or 
local  level  were  often  identified  strongly  with    the  agricultural  development    needs  on  the 
ground. Measures focussed on young people and the general public used the latest on-line and 
social media tools to connect with the target audience. 

5 Call for proposals for 2015,Official Journal of the European Union, 2014/C 383/06 of 29.10.2014  
6 Call for proposals for 2016,Official Journal of the European Union, 2015/C 351/09 of 23.10.2015 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Projects  were  implemented  by  national  farmer  and  rural  associations;  non-governmental 
organisations at national and EU level active on environmental, on rural development and on 
organic  farming  issues;  media  organisations  operating  at  regional,  national,  European  and 
global level; local and national public authorities.  

The  Commission  Staff  Working  Document  accompanying  this  report  gives  more  detailed 
information  on  the  grants  awarded  during  the  reporting  period,  including  the  number  of 
successful applications per Member State. 

The  calls  for  proposals  encouraged  grant  applicants  to  seek  better  definition  of  target 
audiences, better dissemination of information, and analysis of the impact of the measures in 
terms of the numbers of persons reached directly and indirectly.  Applicants were required to 
submit detailed plans for their proposed measures, including project implementation, message 
delivery  and  measurement  of  effectiveness.  In  the  reporting  period,  it  is  important  to 
emphasise  that  a  considerable  number  of  co-financed  actions  reached  a  wider  audience 
beyond the immediate participants, thanks to the multiplier effect of the specialised press and 
media, as well as increased use of the internet and social media as dissemination tools. 

Applications were assessed in the light of rigorous eligibility, exclusion, selection and award 
criteria as laid down in the calls for proposals. This was in line with the Financial Regulation 
and reflected the Commission's aim to achieve equal treatment and fair competition between 
applicants7. 

Direct  actions/public  procurement  (information  measures  taken  at  the  initiative 

2. 
of the Commission) 

In 2015-2016, as in the past, an important number of information measures were carried out at 
the initiative of the Commission. 

a) Media networking 

Supporting the media with information and briefings on developments in the CAP and rural 
development  continued  to  be  a  very  important  part  of  communication  actions,  with  a  very 
significant  multiplier  effect.  Social  media  and  internet  based  communication  continued  to 
grow in  importance in this  period. There was a sustained effort to  disseminate to the media 
relevant  user-friendly  information  on  the  policy.  Ongoing  development  and  maintenance  of 
the  platform  for  journalists,  AG-Press.eu,  the  organisation  of  study  trips  for  AG-Press 
members, and media networking events continued to foster close contacts and exchanges with 
both journalists specialising in agricultural issues, and also the non-specialist media. The DG 
AGRI  social  media  tools  (Facebook,  Twitter)  were  further  developed  and  had  a  rapidly 
growing  audience  during this time. They continue to  be an important tool  both in  attracting 
specialists towards the website and the comprehensive information and latest news available 
there, and also in reaching the general public. Overall, media networking activity contributed 
to increasing awareness and understanding of journalists on issues related to agriculture and 
rural development throughout the EU. 

The AG-Press network, which now includes over 800 active journalists, is a useful tool for the 
Commission, and network for its members.   

7 More detailed information on grants are also to be found on the Europa website: 
 http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/grants-for-information-measures_en 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
During  nine  study  trips,  groups  of  journalists  had  the  opportunity  to  experience  often  very 
different  farming  conditions  in  other  regions  and  Member  States.  Typically,  these  "learning 
on  the  ground"  exercises  include  briefings  on  innovation  on  farms,  generational  renewal, 
alternative enterprises, climate mitigation measures inter alia. Exchanges with producers and 
rural  entrepreneurs  helped  to  promote  awareness  of  the  challenges  and  opportunities 
confronting farmers across the European Union. The AG-Press annual network event, which 
took place in January 2016 with a high level expert programme, including participation of the 
Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, also facilitated a shared understanding 
of the CAP. 

b) Stakeholder networking - conferences 

Stakeholders – farmers, cooperatives, the food sector, environmentalists, those active in rural 
areas, amongst others – constitute a very important multiplier of information on agricultural 
and rural development issues. 

In the reporting period, conferences continued to be an important forum for dialogue on the 
implementation  and  future  development  of  policy.  In  line  with  the  Commission's  policy 
priorities and emphasis on broad consultation with civil society, there was a sustained effort to 
engage on major  policy  priorities with  other EU institutions, Member  State administrations, 
the  EU  level  and  national  socio-professional  sector  and  the  academic  and  research 
community.  

DG  AGRI  continued the  practice  begun  in  2014  of  presenting  to  a  wider  audience  its  work 
undertaken together with the Joint Research Centre on the medium term prospects for the EU 
agricultural  markets.  The  scope  of  its  2015  "EU  Agricultural  Outlook  Conference"  was 
broadened  to  include  the  challenges  facing  agriculture  in  the  EU  and  globally.  This  event 
included an important political dimension with high-level panels focusing on issues, such as 
sustainability and the food chain. The 2016 edition of the Outlook conference continued this 
broader  high  level  format  with    representatives  from  the  EU  institutions,  and  governments, 
international  organisations  and  stakeholders  exchanging  views  and  perspectives  on  issues 
related  to  climate  change  and  resource  availability.  Senior  political  representation  from  the 
EU and third countries at the Outlook conferences in this period helped generate considerable 
media coverage of the issues. 

The  "Cork  2.0  Conference  on  Rural  Development"  was  another  major  event  in  this  period. 
Some three hundred EU stakeholders, together with senior representatives from international 
organisations,  discussed  and  reassessed  the  situation  of  rural  areas  and  the  associated  policy 
implications for the next 20 years. The conference adopted a declaration, "A better life in rural 
areas", which outlined a common vision for the future of rural areas, including  strengthening 
rural  value  chains  and  investing  in  rural  vitality  and  viability  by  increasing  access  to 
transformative innovation and technologies. This strategic vision for the future of rural areas 
was  an  important  contribution  to  the  Commission's  ongoing  reflection  on  the  simplification 
and modernisation of the CAP  

In addition, in a series of workshops, experts from both the public and private sectors engaged 
in a reflection exercise with a view to identifying the main elements that should underpin a 
healthy development of the sheep sector in the Union in the future. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
c) General public activities 

Participation at fairs 

The Commission's emphasis on improving the awareness of the general public about the CAP 
and  the  EU in  general  remained  central  to  participation  at fairs.  Actions  continued to  target 
citizens and stakeholders, and provide a forum for dialogue with farmers, civil society and the 
general  public  on  policy  issues.  Information  measures  often  highlighted  successful  rural 
development projects, as well as organising informative and educational activities designed to 
appeal  to  families  and  schoolchildren.  Cooperation  intensified  with  other  DGs  and  the 
Commission  representations  in  the  Member  States.    For  example,    DG  AGRI  together  with  
the  Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) and DG Maritime Affairs 
and Fisheries (DG MARE)  organised  common stands with the theme "From farm to fork" at 
the larger fairs such as "Grüne Woche" in Berlin or "Salon International de l'Agriculture" in 
Paris. 

Educational pack for school children 

The educational pack for school children aged between eleven and fifteen years ("edutainment 
pack")  was  developed  in  the  reporting  period,  and  distributed  in  early  2017  through  the 
Europe Direct Information Centres and the Commission representations in the Member States, 
with the support of a digital and social media campaign. The aim is to explain in an attractive 
pedagogical format the role of the farmer and farm families, their contribution to society and 
the challenges they face. 

d) Horizontal activities 

World Exhibition Milano 2015 (Expo)  

The  World  Expo  2015  took  place  in  Milan  from  1  May to  31  October  2015  on  the  theme 
"Feeding  the  Planet:  Energy  for  Life".  This  was  an  important  focus  of  DG  AGRI 
communication  activity  in  2015.  This  edition  of    Expo  was    a  major  platform  for    global 
political  discussions  and  policy  initiatives  on  food  and  sustainability.  For  the  EU  as  a  key 
player in  this global debate, it was an opportunity to  work towards  fruitful  collaboration  on 
these  issues  with  other  stakeholders,  both  public  and  private.  With  147  countries  and 
international  organisations  participating,  over  21  million  visitors,  and  hundreds  of  millions 
more reached via the Internet, this was a very valuable forum for communication on the issues 
with European and third country nationals.The EU participation had three major objectives – 
communicating  key  EU  achievements  in  the  area  of  food  and  sustainability,  providing  a 
platform for future policy development, and playing an educative role by raising awareness on 
issues such as combating food waste and encouraging healthier food choices. 

The  EU  presence  at  EXPO  included  the  Commission,  the  European  Parliament  and  other 
institutions,  as  well  as  a  very  significant  stakeholder  involvement.  In  cooperation  with  the 
Joint  Research  Centre,  which  coordinated  the  EU  participation,  and  other  Commission 
departments, DG AGRI played a key role in   highlighting policy issues related to the future 
of  agricultural  policy  and  rural  development.  More  than  twenty  events  -  seminars, 
conferences, workshops, awareness raising actions for visitors - were organised by DG AGRI. 
These  covered,  inter  alia,  food  security  and  agricultural  sustainability,  research  and 
innovation,  food  safety  and  food  quality,  rural  development,  and  food  related  global 
challenges.  They  generated  important  stakeholder  contributions  to  the  discussions  on  future 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
challenges  for  policy-makers.  DG  AGRI  participated  also  in  other  related  events  during 
EXPO notably the work of the Scientific Committee, and its definition of recommendations 
for the future on research and innovation in global food and nutrition security. 

There  were  over  650,000  visitors  to  the  EU  pavilion.  Visitor  appreciation  of  the  pavilion's 
central exhibit, an animated story  revolving around bread, science and agriculture, was high 
at  90%,  while  a  further  74%  stated  they  would  now  like  to  learn  more  on  EU  policies 
concerning food and sustainability. 

Communication  actions  targeted  the  media,  with  social  media  activity  deployed  before  and 
during the Expo. The important  high level political representation at EXPO (Heads of State 
and  Ministers,  Members  of  the  European  Parliament  including  the  President,  EU 
Commissioners  together  with  President  Juncker)  generated  media  interest  about  EXPO  and 
helped boost the dissemination of information on its main activities. 

Publications 

In  the  reporting  period,  there  continued  to  be  a  strong  focus  on  the  further  development  of 
publications in electronic format. As in the past, a number of publications were produced in 
cooperation  with  the  EU  Publications  Office,  and  also  the  Office  for  Infrastructure  and 
Logistics  in  Brussels  (OIB).  Some  were  aimed  at  schoolchildren,  and  at  highlighting  the 
School  schemes.  They  proved  very  popular  as  promotional  material  at  fairs  and  events.  In 
addition, publications focussed on policy issues such as the contribution of food and farming 
to economic growth and jobs, and on agricultural market safety nets. 
Publication  of  the  important  report  of  the  Agricultural  Markets  Task  Force,  "Improving 
Market  Outcomes:  enhancing  the  position  of  farmers  in  the  supply  chain"  took  place  in 
November 2016. 

Eurobarometer 

A special quantitative Eurobarometer survey on agriculture and the CAP was conducted in the 
last quarter of 2015. The results, published in January 2016, show that agriculture and rural 
areas are important for Europeans and that a majority of people support the guiding principles 
and aims of the CAP. At the same time, it indicated that 30% of Europeans are unaware of the 
policy associated with it, the CAP. DG AGRI when designing specific information measures 
keeps these results under review. 

Website 

The  "Agriculture  and  Rural  Development"  website  continued  to  develop  in  the  reporting 
period,  notably  as  an  important  source  of  specialist  information  on  agriculture  and  rural 
development. It also played a significant role in the process of consulting stakeholders and the 
general  public  as  to  the  future  direction  of  agricultural  policy.  The  reporting  period  saw 
important changes to the Commission's web presence, designed to make it more user-friendly 
and relevant for the general public. The ongoing Digital Transformation process includes the 
adaptation  of  the  web  content  and  its  incorporation  within  the  Commission's  new  web 
architecture by the end of 2017 so as to provide information better corresponding to end user 
needs.  DG  AGRI  participated  actively  in  this  process  in  2015-2016  with  a  reinforced  web 
team, which ensured the successful migration from the Documentum to the Drupal platform. 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Visitors 

In  the  reporting  period,  DG  AGRI    continued  to  participate  in  information  sessions  with 
groups of visitors, comprising principally farmers, farmers' representatives, students, regional 
and local representatives, journalists and academics. The purpose of the visits was to explain 
and  deepen  understanding  of  the  CAP,  including  rural  development,  and  also  to  raise 
awareness  of  the  broader  challenges  and  opportunities  facing  agriculture  in  the  future.This 
communication activity was carried out in close cooperation with DG COMM's visitor centre. 

IV. 

THE PROPORTION OF SPENDING (COMMITTMENTS AND PAYMENTS) 
BETWEEN  CO-FINANCED  ACTIONS  AT  THE  INITIATIVE  OF  THIRD 
PARTIES (GRANTS) AND INFORMATION ACTIONS AT THE INITIATIVE 
OF THE COMMISSION (PUBLIC PROCUREMENT)8

2015 

Grants 

2016 

Public 
procurement 

Total 

Grants 

Public 
procurement 

Total 

1.580.900 
(**) 

3.000.000 

5.000.000 

8.000.000  

2.500.000 

4.000.000, 

2.419.099 

1.512.640  

3.931.739  

2.759.449 

4.535.172 

7.294.621 

(**) 

(**) 

(**) 

91,98% 

90,70 % 

91,18 % 

96,76% 

95,7% 

98,29 % 

2.323.802 

4.139.141 

6.462.943 

(*) 

890.638 

890.638 

(***) 

(***) 

84,21 % 

91,27% 

88,60% 

(*) 

58,88 % 

22,65 % 

Initial  foreseen 
budget  

Commitments 
in EUR 

% 
commitment 

of 

Payments  (**) 
in EUR 

of 

% 
disbursement 
vs commitment 

(*) None of the actions are paid yet. 
(**) cf. Following the amendment of DG AGRI's 2016 external communication action plan. 
(***) The figures for payments on 2016 measures were not yet finalised. 

Payments  are  generally  lower  than  the  amounts  originally  committed.  In  the  case  of  grants, 
this can be explained by the fact that final costs of the actions are lower than initially foreseen 
by the beneficiary, and secondly, because not all expenses declared by the beneficiaries can 
be considered as eligible. In the case of actions taken at the initiative of the Commission, the 
difference between payments and commitments arises from the fact that, while commitments 
are fixed, actual expenditure is less than that foreseen due to savings and the use of more cost-
effective measures during implementation. 

8  

EUR 4.000.000  –  codelegated  to  DG  Comm  in  2016  for  Corporate  Communication  activities  not 
included in this table 

9 

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
V. 

CONCLUSION 

In  the  reporting  period,  the  Commission  continued  to  develop  its  corporate  communication 
actions based on its ten political priorities emphasising the tangible benefits delivered by the 
EU  to  its  citizens.  Information  measures  carried  out  in  relation  to  the  common  agricultural 
policy  and  rural  development  sought  to  highlight  the  achievements  of  the  CAP  in  terms  of 
providing a steady supply of healthy food and its contribution to economic growth and vibrant 
rural areas. In parallel, critical issues for the future such as resource efficiency, generational 
renewal, and the role of agriculture in addressing the challenge of climate change were also 
central  to  communication  actions.  Efforts  were  reinforced  also  to  engage  with  civil  society 
and  a  broad  range  of  stakeholders,  and  to  promote  stronger  cooperation  in  carrying  out 
information actions both within the Commission services, and with other EU institutions and 
Member States. 

10