EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski to Visit India from 7-9 December with a Delegation of 50+ European Businesses

European Union (EU) Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski will be visiting India on 7-9 December 2023, leading a business delegation of 50+ EU company representatives from the agri-food sector. During his visit, he would be inaugurating the EU Pavilion at the two prestigious exhibitions in New Delhi, SIAL and VINEXPO on 7th December, which will host a wide array of agri-food products from across Europe, offering an immersive experience into the quality, safety, authenticity, and sustainability standards of European food and beverages. The visit and the participation at the exhibition aims to promote exports of EU agricultural food and beverage products to India, facilitating its presence in the Indian market while enabling matchmaking between the businesses of both sides.

During his visit, Commissioner Wojciechowski will hold bilateral meetings with the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, as well as the Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala, and with Niti Aayog, the policy think tank of the Government of India. It will be an occasion to exchange on the agricultural policy of the EU and India and raise the market access challenges faced by EU operators on the Indian market.

The EU is the Region of Honour of SIAL and VINEXPO 2023 with the EU Pavilions forming part of the 'More than food' campaign, with which the EU is actively promoting outstanding European agricultural products to Indian businesses and consumers. Commissioner Wojciechowski will participate in the opening ceremony of the fairs. The 50+ businesses accompanying the EU Commissioner will not only showcase their products to the Indian buyers from the food distribution, retail, manufacture, and hospitality industries at SIAL and VINEXPO, but will also explore business and match-making opportunities with their Indian counterparts. The EU Pavilions will play a crucial role in creating excellent, centralised matchmaking opportunities for Indian buy-ers, retailers, and distributors. They are meant to lead to the establishment of new business partnerships that are mutually beneficial for both EU companies and their Indian counterparts. The direct interactions during the sessions will also contribute to a better understand-ing of the specific needs and preferences of the Indian market. This knowledge exchange can contribute to in- formed decision-making and enhance the potential for successful market entry.

"At the EU Pavilions, we offer an immersive journey into the world of European agricultural products, focusing on quality, safety, authen-ticity, and sustainability. We aim to inform and inspire Indian buyers, retailers, and distributors through cooking demonstrations, information sessions, and tastings over three exciting days. The EU Pavilions also offer excellent match-making opportunities for Indian buyers, with representatives from more than 50 European companies attending from various food and drink sectors," Janusz Wojciechowski European Union Commissioner for Agriculture.

Unique Flavours of Europe Visitors to the EU Pavilion at SIAL, located at Booth C10, Hall 1B, will be able to savour the unique flavours of Europe with an exceptional selection of European food products from 27 EU Member States. From cheese and dairy to pork and poultry, fruit and vege-tables to olive oil, in addition to chocolate, confection- ery, and baked goods, one can discover the excellent products that are not only the foundation of a variety of European cuisines but also a valuable contribution to Indian cooking.

Meanwhile, visitors to the EU Pavilion at VINEXPO, located at Booth F50, Hall 1B, will be able to experi-ence the diverse world of European beverages, including premium wines, beers, and spirits. One can also explore the art of pairing wines with delicious chocolates and high-quality European cheeses and discover the authen- ticity, quality, and diversity that make European bever-ages stand out in the market. Detailed programme for the event here.

Some key moments at SIAL & VINEXPO 2023 will be:

Official opening ceremony of the SIAL and Vinexpo on 7 December at 13:30-14:30, with participation of Commissioner Wojciechowski.

Official opening ceremony of the EU Pavillion will take place from 14:30 to 15:00 on 7 December 2023 at Booth C10, Hall 1B. Commissioner Wojciechowski will kick off the event in style, with Star Chef Guntas Sethi Bhasin preparing delicious dishes featuring top-quality EU ingredients.

Our Star Chefs Guntas Sethi Bhasin and Ajay Chopra will be on hand to conduct cooking demonstra-tions, and the pavilion will also host information sessions, tastings, and product workshops over the three days, providing a comprehensive exploration of how European products can enrich any food culture.

B2B Matchmaking sessions between the EU and Indian buyers, retailers, and distributors of foods and bever-ages. The business delegation will attend two B2B sessions, one at 15:00-17:30 on 7 December and the second at 14:30-16:30 on 8 December.

At the conference "The EU and India: a partnership in food excellence", taking place at 11:30-13:30 on 8 December, one will have the opportunity to learn about ways to guarantee the safety, quality, authenticity and sustain-ability of agri-food products, trends in F&B innovation, EU food quality policy of Geographical indications and prod-ucts not yet widely available on the Indian market, with addresses by Commissioner Wojciechowski and other high-level speakers.

SIAL Business Conference on 8 December at 15:00-16:00 entitled "European Agri-Food Products - Safe- guarding Authenticity, Quality, and Safety in the Food System" will be another opportunity to hear from the EU business delegates about standards in EU food and bev-erage production.