MEPs reached an agreement with EU Council members on measures to boost sales of EU farm produce within the EU, as well as in third countries, and to restore consumer confidence in the event of 'market disruptions'. The Commission and Council have both now agreed to support the promotion of EU farm produce within the bloc, and not just outside of EU territory.

The Committee suggested after its session on Monday that promotion could focus on the high food safety, animal welfare and traceability standards that EU producers must meet. Funding for promotion campaigns would come direct from the EU and the organisation seeking advertising, and not from individual member states (the other EU legislators agreed to up the amount of EU co-funding allowed to between 70% and 80%, compared to the Commission's initial proposal of 50% - 60%). Funding from the EU would increase in the event of a 'market disruption' that risked affecting consumer confidence.

The Parliament Committee gave the 2011 E.Coli outbreak which killed and severely sickened a number of people in France and Germany as an example of market disruption. Early on in the outbreak, Spanish cucumbers were wrongly blamed for causing the sickness, which led to sales plummeting.

Under the new agreement, a wider range of EU products would also be eligible for promotion, including beer, chocolate, bread and pastry, pasta, salt, sweet corn, and cotton.

The promotion deal will be debated by the full Parliament at its last Strasbourg plenary session (14 - 17 April) before the European elections. If Parliament votes to support it, then it will still need to be formally endorsed by the Council.