Support for information measures relating to the common agricultural policy (IMCAP)

Expected Impact:

The target public for the themes is the general public (in particular young people in urban areas) and/or farmers and other stakeholders active in rural areas and the agricultural sector.

More specifically:

• For young people in urban areas, school children, teachers and university students: new approaches should be used to engage with young people and raise their awareness of the new CAP and the contribution that it makes in many areas such as the climate change challenge, food, healthy and high quality eating as a lifestyle choice, in relation also with the EU School Scheme for Milk, Fruit and Vegetables and the Tartu Call.
• For stakeholders: stakeholders should be more aware of the contribution that the CAP makes to support the social, environmental and economic sustainability of agriculture.

The projects must use objective and measurable (quantitative and qualitative) impact indicators for their proposed objectives and activities that will be assessed by an impact evaluation methodology. These indicators should include inter alia:

• the baseline (i.e. a description of the current levels of awareness and perception of the CAP amongst the targeted audience). This could be based on Special Eurobarometer 520 data or other objective and credible data sources that define the levels of awareness and perception about the CAP in a particular target audience
• the total number of contacts expected to be made during the communication and information activities, and
• the targeted increase in the total number of contacts who recognise and/or have a more positive opinion of the CAP as a result of the information and communication activities (in relation to the baseline).

Objective:

The general objective of the call is to raise awareness about the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) within the EU, amongst all citizens, farmers and non-farmers alike and to disseminate information about the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the key messaging should be fully consistent with the Commission's legal requirement to carry out information measures on the CAP within the meaning of Article 46 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2116.

The measures should help citizens understand the CAP, about how the CAP responds to challenges faced by agriculture and food producers, helps restore consumer confidence following crises, supports development in rural areas and promotes a more competitive, sustainable and resilient Union model of agriculture, including its simplification agenda.

The measures should help citizens understand the CAP through coherent, evidence-based, objective and comprehensive information. The measures should inform citizens, farmers and consumers on the CAP and how the CAP, including the national CAP Strategic Plans, responds to challenges faced in agriculture and food production, encourages competitiveness of the agrifood sector, supports farmers’ income and their position in the food value chain.

The measures should also help citizens understand how the CAP rewards farmers preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems, including mitigating climate change, and promotes a more sustainable Union model of agriculture. Finally, the measures should also help the audience to understand how the CAP supports development in rural areas.

The proposals submitted should focus on the ten specific objectives of the CAP, taking into account the Member States' CAP strategic plans, the Action Plan for the Development of Organic Production, the Common Market Organisation, the Unfair Trade Practices Directive and the Political Orientations for the next European Commission 2024-2029. They should provide coherent, objective, evidence-based and comprehensive information measures, reaching a significant number of citizens in the EU, in order to help explain, implement and develop the CAP and to raise public awareness of its content and objectives, including its contribution to guaranteeing a stable supply of affordable food, to supporting farmer’s income, and to ensuring long-term competitiveness, resilience and sustainability of EU’s farming sector.

The motivation of proposals submitted should also consider addressing lack of information about European agriculture and the CAP within identified target audiences. This should be achieved using facts, backed-up with reliable data, and overall raising public awareness on the relevance of EU support to agriculture and rural development through the CAP.

Scope:

The call 2026 focusses on the elements of the Vision for Agriculture and Food related to the implementation of the CAP. More specifically, proposals are invited to come forward with information measures focussing on:

1. the CAP’s role in supporting a fair prospects income for farmers) and their position in the food supply chain, showing examples,
2. its contribution to ensuring competitiveness and the long-term resilience of EU agriculture,
3. agri-food systems functioning with planetary boundaries, preserving healthy soils, clean water and air, and protecting and restoring Europe’s biodiversity,
4. the support to generational renewal and improving gender balance,
5. addressing misconceptions and disinformation narratives and strengthening information integrity in relation to agriculture and rural areas.

Proposals not addressing at least one of the points above will be considered outside the scope of this call.

Activities that can be funded:

This call targets large-audience information and communication measures to inform citizens about the CAP (including the national CAP strategic plans).

The information measures must include one or several activities reaching a significant number of citizens, such as:

• production and distribution/broadcast of print, multimedia or audio-visual material
• web and social media outreach activities that reach a significant number of citizens
• media events
• conferences, seminars, workshops that reach a significant number of citizens
• studies on CAP-related issues (if required to support the implementation of the information measures).

The following activities are NOT eligible:

• measures required by law
• general or statutory meetings
• other activities where the communication and information measures are not the main component.

In case of previous co-financed campaigns, projects must describe their past impact and explain clearly and in details the novelty in the proposed activities for this call.