REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of Article 45 of Regulation (EU) N° 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on information measures relating to the common agriculture policy
Date: 2021-12-20
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: EU financing, EU initiative, co-financing, common agricultural policy, dissemination of EU information, public awareness campaign

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 20.12.2021  COM(2021) 822 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of Article 45 of Regulation (EU) N° 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on information measures relating to the common agriculture policy  {SWD(2021) 399 final}  
 
 
I. 

INTRODUCTION  

This  report  concerns  the  implementation  of  information  measures  relating  to  the  common 
agricultural  policy  (CAP)  for  2019  and  2020,  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 ninth such report2. 

In  this  period,  the  Directorate  General  for  Agriculture  and  Rural  Development  (DG  AGRI) 
continued to contribute to the ongoing development and implementation of the Commission’s 
corporate  communication  actions.  Resources  were  pooled  from  different  spending 
programmes in order to fund communication priorities based on the general objectives of the 
European  Union.  In  2019,  DG  AGRI  communication  actions  reflected  how  the  Common 
Agricultural Policy contributed to the priorities of the Juncker Commission, especially on job 
creation,  growth  and  investment,  and  delivering  tangible  benefits  for  citizens.  At  the  same 
time,  the  Commission  prepared  to  deliver  on  the  headline  ambitions  of  the  Von  der  Leyen 
Commission, notably on the European Green Deal. In 2020, the new Commission was rapidly 
confronted  with  the  coronavirus  pandemic,  and  the  need  to  organise  a  concerted  and 
coordinated European response to the emergency. DG AGRI contributed to communicating at 
both the corporate and sectoral level on the measures taken to protect the health and safety of 
citizens,  to  assure  the  continued  effective  functioning  of  the  food  supply  chain  and  food 
security, and on the future oriented recovery plan proposed by the Commission based on the 
Green Deal objectives.  

In  2020,  a  Eurobarometer  survey  was  carried  out,  as  part  of  the  regular  tracking  of  EU 
citizens'  perceptions  on  agriculture  and  the  CAP.  The  three  objectives  of  the  CAP  ranked 
highest by Europeans – providing safe, healthy food of high quality, ensuring a fair standard 
of living for farmers as well as protecting the environment and tackling climate change – have 

1 
2 

Official Journal of the European Union, OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 549. 
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)  83 
final of 23.2.2016; COM(2017) 777 final of 19.12.2017; COM(2019) 634 final of 17.12.2019. 

1 

 
 
                                                 
remained  overall  stable  since  2017.  A  growing  majority  of  Europeans  considers  the  CAP 
fulfils its objectives and that it benefits all citizens, not only farmers3. 
In  addition,  during  2020,  an  external  evaluation  support  study4  was  carried  out  on  the 
information  policy  on  the  Common  Agricultural  Policy.  This  found  that  the  information 
measures undertaken were successful in improving understanding and perceptions with regard 
to  the  CAP.  It  also  provided  valuable  guidance  for  the  preparation  of  DG  AGRI’s  external 
communication  strategy  for  the  period  2021–2025.  The  study  also  contributed  to  an  overall 
evaluation of the information policy on the CAP, which was concluded with the publication of 
an evaluation report5.  

The  annexes  mentioned  in  the  text  are  to  be  found  in  the  Commission  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 2019; and EUR 8 million in 2020. In 
addition,  in  the  framework  of  the  Commission  corporate  communication  actions  during  the 
period, EUR 5 655 000 were co-delegated from DG AGRI (from both EAGF and EAFRD) to 
DG  Communication  which  is  responsible  for  managing  the  Commission's  corporate 
campaigns, in 2019, and EUR 7 545 000 in 2020. 

The  breakdown  of  the  budget  earmarked  between  public  procurement  (actions  taken  at  the 
initiative of the Commission) and grants (co-financed actions) was as follows: 

2019:  public  procurement  (EUR  4  million)  (50%)  –  Grants  (EUR  4  million)  (50%) 
2020:  public procurement (EUR 4 million) (50%) – Grants (EUR 4 million) (50%)  

Execution  of  the  2019  measures  reached  100%  in  terms  of  commitments,  and  92.91%  in 
terms of payments of committed amounts.  

Execution  of  the  2020  measures  reached  96.86%  in  terms  of  commitments;  the  figures  for 
payments  on  2020  measures  were  not  yet  finalised  at  the  time  of  drafting  this  report  as 
payments could still be made until 31 December 2021. 

III. 

BREAKDOWN OF ACTIONS FINANCED 

In 2019-2020, CAP information measures were strongly focussed on the future CAP and the 
Commission  policy  priorities.  The  reporting  period  coincided  with  the  ongoing  negotiations 
on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) sectoral proposals on the reform of the CAP, 
presented  by  the  Commission  on  1  June  2018.  In  2019,  actions  also  included  raising 
awareness  on  the  European  parliamentary  elections,  in  the  course  of  the  ongoing  outreach 
actions by DG AGRI to engage with citizens and stakeholders on the CAP reform proposals. 
There  was  a  strong  drive  by  the  Commission  on  advancing  the  European  Green  Deal 
sustainability  agenda,  with  the  adoption  of  the  Farm  to  Fork  and  Biodiversity  strategies  on 
20 May  2020, and their  ongoing discussion with the other EU institutions and stakeholders. 

3 
4 

5  

https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2229. 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/key-policies/common-agricultural-
policy/cmef/regulation-and-simplification/information-policy-common-agricultural-policy-1_en. 
Commission  Staff  Working  Document,  Evaluation  on  the  information  policy  on  the  Common 
Agricultural Policy, SWD(2021)980. 

2 

 
 
 
                                                 
Promoting awareness of the key role of the CAP in achieving the objectives of the European 
Green Deal was central to DG AGRI’s communication efforts in this period; this included the 
importance  of  sustainability  in  all  its  dimensions,  economic,  social  and  environmental.  As 
mentioned above, information on the Commission’s urgent coordinated action at EU level in 
response to the outbreak of COVID-19 were of the highest priority in 2020. These included 
informing citizens and policymakers on the many measures adopted by the Commission with 
a view to simplifying the management of the CAP and providing financial support to farmers 
and  rural  communities.  For  citizens  and  stakeholders  alike,  the  COVID-19  pandemic 
underlined  the  importance  of  a  robust  and  resilient  agro-food  sector  that  functions  in  all 
circumstances.  A  further  important  priority  in  2020  was  communication  around  the 
preparation of a Long term Vision for EU Rural Areas. 

Information  actions  were  marked  by  reinforced  cooperation  with  other  Commission 
departments, including DG Communication (COMM), DG Health and Food Safety (SANTE), 
DG Research and Innovation (RTD), the Joint Research Centre and DG Environment (ENV). 
This  reflected  the  cross  cutting  nature  of  the  Green  Deal  agenda.  To  ensure  that  key  CAP 
messages  were  conveyed  as  part  of  the  overall  Green  Deal  narrative,  DG  AGRI  developed 
specific communication  material,  for example, on organic, quality  and innovation policy; in 
addition,  use  of  digital  tools  and  social  media  was  intensified  so  as  to  improve  the 
effectiveness of communication towards stakeholders and citizens. 

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.  The  activities  included  can  range  from 
conferences to a comprehensive information campaign covering several types of information 
activities  (such  as  audiovisual  productions,  press  articles,  digital  media  communication, 
organising  seminars  and  conferences  or  attending  agro-food  fairs)  carried  out  in  various 
regions  and/or  Member  States.  An  annual  work  programme  is  a  set  of  two  to  five  specific 
information measures. For 2019 and 2020, 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. 

The  calls  for  proposals6  7  encouraged  information  actions  focussing  specifically  on  the 
economic,  environmental  and  social  dimensions  of  a  sustainable  Common  Agricultural 
Policy. As regards the  stakeholder target  group, the aim was  to  ensure  greater awareness  of 
the CAP’s contribution to  supporting sustainability.  In relation  to  the general  public (and in 
particular  young people  in  urban areas), the calls encouraged inter alia novel  approaches to 
engage  with  young  people;  these  were  targeted  at  school  children,  teachers  and  university 
students and focussed, for example, on raising awareness of the role of the CAP in meeting 
the  climate  change  challenge  as  well  as  encouraging  healthy  eating  habits.  Overall,  the  aim 

6 

7 

Call  for  proposals  for  grants  2019,  Official  Journal  of  the  European  Union  2018/C  395/03  of 
31.10.2018. 
Call 
https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/other_eu_prog/imcap/wp-call/infome-01-
2020_en.pdf. 

proposals 

grants 

2020, 

for 

for 

3 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
was to raise public awareness on the relevance for citizens of EU support to agriculture and 
rural development, and its contribution to meeting the Green Deal objectives. 

In 2019, eighteen measures were co-financed, and in 2020 twenty two measures. This makes 
a total of 40 co-financed actions for the period 2019-2020, all at a rate of 60% of the eligible 
costs actually incurred, plus a flat-rate contribution of 7% of the eligible costs. In the 2019-
2020  period,  twenty  five  grants  were  awarded  to  media  and  communications  agencies  for 
measures promoting awareness of the importance of agriculture and the rural areas for society 
as  a  whole;  these  included  actions  with  a  significant  trans-national  element  carried  out  by 
media  companies  active  in  different  Member  States.  The  projects  illustrated  how  the  CAP 
contributes  towards  the  delivery  of  the  Union’s  political  priorities,  and  addresses  the 
sustainability of agriculture, in  all its dimensions. Often, these actions included pedagogical 
elements  and  awareness  raising  events  on  food  and  farming,  emphasising  the  role  of  EU 
support and the importance of generational renewal for the sector.  

Support  was  also  given  to  eight  actions  at  national  level  led  by  producers’  associations  or 
entities with strong links to the agricultural sector; these projects focussed on the current and 
future  challenges  facing  EU  agriculture  and  rural  areas  and  the  promotion  of  sustainability. 
Also at national level inter alia an academic institution focussed on the future opportunities 
for young farmers. In addition, an EU level rural development association organised a cross-
border  project  focussed  on  supporting  students  in  agricultural  training.  Furthermore,  two 
organisations active in the environmental domain at national level, and also one at EU level,  
received  support  for  measures  to  raise  awareness  of  issues  related  to  protecting  the 
environment  and  safeguarding  biodiversity  in  the  context  of  the  Farm  to  Fork  strategy  and  
European Green Deal priorities.  

Frequently,  grant  awarded  projects  included  an  educational  component  targeting  school 
children, teachers and university students. These actions were designed to engage with young 
people, raise their awareness of the CAP and its contribution in many areas such as climate 
change, food security, and the promotion of healthy diets as a lifestyle choice. 

Due to the restrictions enacted by national authorities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 
some grant awarded projects were confronted with major difficulties in the implementation of 
their actions. These had an impact in particular on the activities related to the organisation of 
seminars in schools, of conferences and participation in agro-food fairs. In line with the global 
approach agreed across the European Commission, DG AGRI continued to adopt a high level 
of flexibility in seeking solutions to ensure the execution of these projects. 

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

In  the  2019-2020  period,  it  is  important  to  emphasise  that  a  considerable  number  of  co-
financed  actions  reached  a  wider  audience  beyond  the  immediate  participants,  due  to  the 
multiplier  effect  of  the  specialised  press  and  media,  as  well  as  increased  use  of  digital  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 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
and reflected the Commission's aim to achieve equal treatment and fair competition between 
applicants8. 

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

2. 
of the Commission) 

In 2019-2020, as in the past, an important number of information measures were carried out at 
the initiative of the Commission. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic led to the cancellation 
of most face to face events in 2020 (as of 1 March), the adjustment of others and notably to a 
general move to the use of on-line organisational modes throughout the year. 

a) Media and on-line communication 

Supporting  the  media  with  timely  relevant  information  on  the  current  and  future  CAP  and 
rural development policy continued to feature strongly in this period. The platform aimed at 
journalists  interested  in  food  and  farming  issues,  www.Ag-Press.eu,  was  further  enhanced. 
The  organisation  of  study  visits,  seminars  and  (in  2020)  on-line  webinars  helped  foster  the 
exchange  of  knowledge  and  experience  between  Ag-Press  members,  and  deepened  their 
understanding of EU actions in agriculture and rural areas. 

Networking  activities  included  the  organisation  of  two  study  trips  to  Romania,  and  Finland 
during  their  Presidencies  of  the  EU  in  2019.  The  study  trip  to  the  Cluj  region  of  Romania 
included expert briefings, and visits  to  arable and wine  enterprises,  which demonstrated  the 
role of modern technology in their achievements. The rich traditional cheese making heritage 
of  the  region  and  its  success  on  the  EU  market,  supported  by  use  of  modern  marketing 
techniques,  was  also  showcased.  Another  highlight  was  a  commercially  successful  organic 
project based on the Transylvanian tradition of cold pressing raw seeds. The exchanges with 
producers  and  rural  entrepreneurs  on  the  ground  in  both  Finland  and  Romania  provided 
insights into the diversity of farming conditions in different Member States and the challenges 
they face. 

In addition, in the first half of 2019, a seminar was organised for the Ag Press network as part 
of  a  sustained  focus  on  communicating  on  the  further  progress  made  in  the  Africa-EU 
partnership in agriculture. This followed the milestone third African Union – European Union 
agricultural ministerial conference in June 2019 which, for the first time, endorsed a Political 
Declaration, accompanied by an action agenda, with the overall aim of further strengthening 
cooperation in food and farming at all levels. This communication effort involved mobilising 
different  tools  (press  conference with  participation of the EU Commissioner for Agriculture 
and  his  African  Union  counterpart,  press  releases,  fact  sheets,  extensive  digital  and  social 
media activity). 

In 2020, due to the pandemic restrictions, no press trips took place. However, three Ag-Press 
webinars  were  organised  to  highlight  key  EU  policy  priorities.  The  extensive  Covid-related 
EU  support  measures  were  the  subject  of  the  first  webinar  (20  May);  this  focussed,  in 
particular, on the diverse measures adopted to ensure that EU wide supply chains continued to 
operate, and EU support to SMEs, farmers and rural areas to help mitigate the effects of the 
crisis. The second webinar marked the adoption of the Farm to Fork strategy (20 May), with 
the  participation  of  Mr  Janusz  Wojciechowski,  Commissioner  for  Agriculture  and  Rural 

8 

More  detailed 
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/grants-for-information-measures_en. 

information  on  grants  are  also 

to  be 

found  on 

the  Europa  website: 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Development  and  Ms  Stella  Kyriakides,  Commissioner  for  Health  and  Food  Safety.  This 
event  addressed  sustainability  and  the  role  of  the  future  CAP  in  achieving  sustainable  food 
systems. The issues of innovation and generational renewal in farming were the subject of a 
third  webinar  (15  December).  These  in-depth  exchanges  with  senior  Commission  officials 
from DG AGRI and JRC helped deepen the understanding of media representatives on these 
crucial  policy  issues,  and  allowed  sharing  of  embargoed  information  on  the  Agricultural 
Outlook 2020-2030 report and the Farmers of the Future study. 

In  the  reporting  period,  DG  AGRI  continued  to  develop  its  social  media  capacity  and  web 
based communication. Expanded social media activity helped substantially to raise awareness 
of  the  CAP  and  resulted  in  increased  engagement  rates  with  key  target  audiences.  It  led  to 
more efficient and effective dissemination of messages across all platforms, ensuring regular 
coverage of a wide variety of topics. In parallel, improved tracking and monitoring of online 
content  performance  facilitated  making  the  necessary  adjustments  to  ensure  timely 
appropriate messaging for audiences; it also generated faster and more effective responses to 
followers.  Extensive  user-friendly  communication  material  developed  for  web  and  social 
media helped raise awareness of the role of the CAP in meeting the Green Deal priorities, and 
the  measures  adopted  to  address  the  COVID  19  crisis  in  the  agro-food  sector.  More  use  of 
audio-visual  and  graphic  tools  increased  significantly  the  range  and  appeal  of  DG  AGRI’s 
social  media  communication.  A  particularly  noteworthy  example  was  the  attractive 
communication campaign developed to illustrate geographical indications, the EU’s culinary 
heritage,  and  quality  policy.  Another  was  the  production  of  vivid  audio-visual  content  to 
highlight the “farmers of the future” project, the joint DG AGRI-JRC initiative on innovative 
solutions to address future challenges in the agricultural sector. DG AGRI continued to work 
with  DG  COMM  and  other  DGs  to  ensure  a  coordinated  dissemination  of  content  at  the 
corporate level, thus improving the efficiency of its output.  

b) Conferences, fairs and events 

In this period, engaging with stakeholders and reaching out to the general public continued to 
be a priority for DG AGRI’s communication actions. 

Conferences were an important means for consultation and the exchange of information and 
ideas  on  vital  policy  issues  between  the  Commission  and  a  wide  variety  of  stakeholders,  at 
regional,  national  and  international  level.  For  example,  the  results  of  the  review  of  the  EU 
Forest Strategy were presented at the Conference "Our Forests, Our Future" organised by the 
Commission in Brussels on 25-26 April 2019. The conference confirmed the vital importance 
of  forests  and  forestry  in  the  context  of  the  Paris  Agreement  and  the  2030  UN  Sustainable 
Development  Goals.  Keynote  addresses  by  the  Commissioner  for  Agriculture  and  Rural 
Development, the Romanian Secretary of State for Forests representing the Presidency of the 
Council of the EU, and the Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy set the scene for a 
comprehensive debate on the potential of the forestry sector to further contribute to advancing 
EU economic, social, environmental and climate goals. Overall, communicating on this theme 
continued to be a key objective over the period. 

In  addition,  the  work  on  the  Farm  to  Fork  strategy,  a  key  component  of  the  Green  Deal, 
started  in  December  2019.  The  2019  EU  Agricultural  Outlook  Conference  was  focused  on 
sustainability  from  farm  to  fork.  More  specifically,  the  interventions  covered  a  number  of 
initiatives undertaken by actors in the food chain to improve the sustainability of production, 
consumption and trade.  Besides climate change, further sustainability aspects were explored, 
such  as  preserving  the  economic  viability  of  farms,  the  vitality  of  rural  communities, 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
biodiversity and natural resources. Evolving societal demands and consumer expectations, in 
particular  for  sustainable  food,  were  also  addressed  while  examining  the  outlook  for  EU 
markets  by  2030.  The  Conference  gathered  over  600  stakeholders,  representing  EU 
institutions, governments and international organisations, those involved in the food chain, the 
socio-professional  sector,  market  experts,  academics  and  think  tanks,  and  the  broader  civil 
society.  Widespread  dissemination  of  proceedings  was  ensured  using  webstreaming,  digital 
and social media tools. 

In  2020,  communication  around  sustainability  and  especially  on  achieving  the  European 
Green Deal objectives was further enhanced. DG AGRI and DG SANTE jointly organised the 
first  “Farm  to  Fork”  conference  in  an  on-line  format  on  15-16  October  2020.  The 
Commissioners  for  Agriculture  and  Rural  Development,  and  Health  and  Food  Safety, 
participated in the opening and closing ceremonies and emphasised the Commission’s wish to 
engage  with  stakeholders  and  civil  society  so  as  to  advance  together  in  achieving  progress 
towards sustainable food systems. The advantages of the on-line format were reflected in the 
high  level  of  participation;  this  was  also  evident  in  the  “Strengthening  geographical 
indications” event organised in November which explored ways and means to strengthen EU 
quality  policy,  and  the  December  2020  Outlook  conference.  However,  the  less  positive 
aspects of the online format, in relation to the lack of human interaction, and its impact on the 
exchange of good practice and networking were also highlighted by participants. 

Face  to  face  interaction  with  the  general  public  and  stakeholders  at  farm  fairs  remained  an 
important activity. DG AGRI was present at eight agricultural fairs and events in 2019, often 
in  cooperation  with  other  Commission  departments.  Attractive  dynamic  communication 
material including publications were made available; events were organised, in particular for 
families and schoolchildren. The objective was to listen and engage and increase the visibility 
and accessibility of the EU institutions at local level.  

In early 2020 (as in 2019), DG AGRI, in cooperation with DG SANTE, participated with a 
stand  on  the  sustainability  theme,  in  two  major  agricultural  fairs:  the  Internationale  Grüne 
Woche in Berlin, and the Paris Salon International de l’Agriculture. All other fairs planned for 
2020 were cancelled due to the pandemic restrictions. 

DG  AGRI  continues  to  explore  possibilities  to  leverage  its  different  events  to  maximise 
outreach  to  citizens,  as  for  example,  at  the  agricultural  fair  in  Okra  (FI)  at  the  start  of  the 
Finnish presidency of the EU in July 2019. On that occasion, in cooperation with stakeholders 
and  the  national  authorities,  a  Citizens’  Dialogue  on  the  future  CAP  took  place,  with  the 
participation  of  the  Minister  for  Agriculture,  the  President  of  MTK,  the  producers  and 
cooperatives  association,  and  AGRI  officials.  In  addition,  frequently,  the  participation  at 
major fairs of the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, together with senior 
Member  State  representatives,  generated  widespread  interest  and  extensive  coverage  in  the 
national and regional media. 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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)9  

All figures in 
EUR 

Grants 

2019 

Public 
procureme
nt 

Total 

Grants 

2020 

Public 
procurement 

Total 

Actual budget  

4.000.000 

4.000.000 

8.000.000 

3.935.189 

3.064.812 

7.000.001 

Commitments + 
Co-Delegation (*) 

% of 
consumption 

4.025.093 

3.974.786 

7.999.879 

3.935.189 

2.844.906 
(**) 

6.780.095 
(**) 

100,63% 

99,37% 

100,00% 

100,00% 

92,82% 

96.86% 

Payments 

3.674.830 

3.757.698 

7.432.528 

N/A 
 (***) 

N/A 
 (***) 

91,30% 

% of payment vs. 
Commitment/Co-
Delegation (*) 
(*) Figures including commitments level 1 or 2 as well as budget spent by co-delegated entities. 
(**) Based on DG AGRI's external communication action plan amendment. 
(***) Payments of these actions are ongoing and not yet finalised. 

N/A 
 (***) 

92,91% 

94,54% 

N/A 
 (***) 

N/A 
 (***) 

N/A 
 (***) 

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. 

V. 

CONCLUSION  

Promoting  the  EU’s  sustainability  objective,  its  aim  to  transform  the  EU  into  a  fair  and 
prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy, was central 
to  the  Commission’s  communication  actions  in  2019-2020.  In  this  period,  the  CAP 
information  measures,  reflecting 
the  simplification  and 
modernisation  of  the  future  CAP,  its  capacity  to  better  respond  to  the  emerging  economic, 
environmental and social  challenges, its focus on supporting viable farm income, bolstering 
environmental and climate action, strengthening the socio-economic fabric of rural areas and 
addressing societal concerns. 

this  objective,  highlighted 

9 

EUR 13.200.000 – codelegated to DG Communication in 2019 and 2020 for corporate communication 
activities is not included in this table. 

8