FINAL Green elements of the EU s Common Agriculture Policy and - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

CEEweb agri-environment and Rural Development working group

FINAL Green elements of the EU’s Common Agriculture Policy and their special impact on small scale farming

ETHICS: FAIR TRADE, ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIAL: AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT AND CONNECTED LOCAL EMPLOYMENT REGIONAL APPROACH, SOCIAL COHESION, FOOD SECURITY SERVICES: TOURISM ETC. ENVIRONMENT: BIODIVERSITY, LANDSCAPE, WATER MANAGEMENT CULTURAL HERITAGE SUCCESSION HIGH QUALITY FOOD PRODUCTS

What do small-scale farmers produce? Why support them?

MS complete the negative list of non-active farmers in order to exclude "sofa farmers", i.e. beneficiaries whose principal activity or company objectives is not agricultural activity.

Pillar 1

• Art. 9: active farmers

Transfers from Pillar 2 to Pillar 1 not generally suitable, as Pillar 2 (RDPs) have a much lower budget and need more money. Transfers from Pillar 1 to Pillar 2 is welcome, but it still depends very much on which measures are targeted.

Art 14: Transfers <–> P1

Art 41: Redistributive payment

Reg Art Name What does it allow? Aim of legislation Feature DP 41 Redistributive payment (for first hectares) Support small and medium sized farms Employment on small and medium farms Optional for Member States.

• The redistributive payment allows Member States to use up to 30% of the national

envelope of direct payments to redistribute to farms up to 30 ha or the national average size, representing a maximum of 65% of the basic payment value per farm. In that case, the value of payments above the 30 ha or the national average could lower degressively. This redistributive payment is a very positive measure for a fairer CAP for small/medium sized farms. MSs should be encouraged to redistribute towards small/medium sized farms as much as possible. Ex: Romania 1-5 small extra payment, 5-30 larger extra payment

Arts 43-46: Payment for climate and environment

Reg Art. Name What does it allow? Aim of legislation Feature DP 43-46 Payments for practices beneficial for climate and environment 30% of direct payments become conditional upon respecting 3 simple agronomic measures "Greening" of direct payments 30% greening is mandatory but «equivalent>> practices still an option forMS as well as collective implementation of

E

colog ical Focus Areas (EFAs)

• Art 44 Crop diversification
• Art 45: Maintain permanent pasture
• Art 46: Ecological Focus Areas

Maintain sustainable arable systems with crop diversification. Smallest farmers do not have to comply. RO example: 44% of arable land , in holdings under 10ha, does not have to carry out obligatory crop diversification in exchange of direct payments. 48% of arable land in RO 10-30 ha, will not be required to do a three crop diversification. In RO, GAEC 4 (prohibits the continued cultivation of sunflower for more than 2 successive years) will be maintained for sunflower maize, affectiong all farmers.

Art 44: Crop diversification

• Reg. Art

Name What does it allow? Target Feature DP 44 Crop Diversification Main crop shall not cover more than 75%

• f the arable land

Arable – maintain soil quality <10 ha arable: no obligation 10-30 ha arable: 2 crops >30 ha arable: 3 crops

Art 45: Maintain permanent pasture

Explicit legal text to protect Natura 2000 pastures (no legal change as the Birds and Habitats directives still apply, but enforcement will likely improve). Also MS have the option to better map and monitor carbon rich pastures, wetland pastures and other semi-natural pastures which are most valuable for both climate and biodiversity.

Art 46: Ecological focus areas

Reg Art Name What does it allow? Aim of legislation Feature DP

46

Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) Recognition of value to ag ro- ecological infrastructures: landscape features, hedges, buffer strips, ponds, trees, terraces, fallow...

Does not

apply to permanent crops or pasture, or temporary grassland. lm prove ecosystem services provided by

• n-farm and wild

biodiversity List of topographic elements to keep in place or to create; weighting matrix to convert linear meters into hectares.

• Greening obligation to provide ecological landscape features (Ecological Focus Areas)

such as buffer strips between fields, trees, hedges, scrub, ponds, etc. Final deal provided for 5% of arable land, possibly increased to 7% of EFAs in 2017 after a report from the Commission. EFA was intended to be applied on permanent crops like vineyards, olive groves or

• rchards, where there would be huge improvement possible for soil conservation and

pollinators. However, problem that EFAs can now include a wide range of unsuitable crops, such as leguminous plants, short rotation coppice and arable crops. Farms under 15 ha arable area have no EFA obligation. .

P2 Measures that could be combined to support small-scale farmers

• Knowledge transfer and information actions
• Advisory services, farm management and farm relief services
• Quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs
• Investments in physical assets
• Farm and business development (young farmers, small farms)
• Basic services and village renewal in rural areas
• Setting up of producer groups
• Agri-environment and climate change
• Organic farming
• Natura 2000 payments
• Payments to areas facing natural or other specific constraints
• Animal welfare
• Co-operation – Operational Groups under European Innovation

Partnership

Art 14: Knowledge transfer

Reg. Art Name What does it allow? Target Feature 2 RD

14

Knowledge transfer and information actions Provide knowledge transfer and information actions.

Could be potentially used by N GOs who

do trainings and knowledge transfer (which are not included in any advice services). Farmers

• NGOs

Includes vocational training and skills acquisition actions may include training courses, workshops and coaching.

• Maximum EAFRD

contribution is 80%

• Key measure for agro-ecological knowledge exchange.

Note: try to encourage MS to have local, not national, approach and contracts, to encourage local actions.

Art 15: Advisory services

Reg. Art Name What does it allow? Target Feature 2 RD

15

Advisory

services, farm

management and farm relief services ADVISORY Support advise providers, including also issues like climate change mitigation

and adaptation, biodiversity

and protection of water, short food supply chains,

• rganic farming,

agro- ecological innovations... Farmers Young farmers and land managers Advisors Help farmers, young farmers, in rural

areas benefit from the use of advisory

services for

• improvement of economic and

environmental performance as well as climate friendliness and resilience of their holding,

• enterprise and/or investment;
• promote setting up of farm

management/advi sory services,

• forestry advisory services
• training of advi

sors.

• Measure includes issues linked to economic and environmental

performance of the holding. Include advice for the development of short supply chains,

• rganic farming, delivery of agronomic practices and integrated

pest management, ensuring compliance with Water Framework Directive and Sustainable Use Directive and health aspects of animal husbandry. Note: try to encourage MS to have local, not national, approach and contracts, to encourage local actions.

Reg. Art Name

What does it allow?

Target

Feature 2

DPRD

16

Quality

schemes for agricultural

products, and foodstuffs

Support promotion and information actions related to official quality schemes quality

3: protected designations

• f origin (PDO), organic farming,

geographical indications (PGI), and also quality schemes, including farm certification schemes, for agricultural products, cotton or foodstuffs, recognised by the Member States. Farmers or groups of

farmers

Support under this measure may cover costs arising from information and promotion activities implemented by groups of producers in the internal market, concerning products covered by a quality

scheme

• Important measure for high quality organic products and local

food recognition under PGI/PDO schemes. Support for both national and regional quality schemes must prioritise higher sustainability standards in food production which have verifiable results for the environment.

Art 16: Quality schemes

• Reg. Art

Name What does it allow? Target Feature 2 RD 17 Investments in physical asset

• improve the overall performance and

sustainability of the agricultural holding

• the processing, marketing and/or

development of agricultural products, except fishery products.

• infrastructure related to the development,

modernisation or adaptation of agriculture and forestry, including access to farm and forest land, land consolidation and improvement, supply and saving of energy and water. Farmers or groups of farmers Non-productive investments linked to the achievement of

agri- environment-climate

• bjectives as pursued under this

regulation, incIude biodiversity conservation status of species and habitat as well as enhancing the public amenity value of a Natura 2000 area or other high nature value systems to be defined in the programme.

• Measure focused previously on farm modernisation and intensification.

However, the scope of the measure now includes climate and environmental concerns, including high nature value systems. Co-financing required: but offers increased support rates for investments linked to the organic farming, agri-environment-climate measures and the European Innovation Partnership

Art 17: Investments in Physical Assets

Important that sufficient budget allocated, and the eligibility allows genuine small farmers to access to measure. RO examples

• Small farmer measure 6.3: eligibility for ‘small farmer’ applicants is €8,000

Economic Output, which is equal to 7 cows and 5 hectares of meadow. This again excludes the 1-5 ha farmer.

• Young farmer measure 6.1: eligibility requires minimum €12,000

Economic Output, which is equal to 12 cows and 8 hectares of meadow. This excludes the small farmer.

Art 19: Farm and business development

• Reg. Art

Name What does it allow? Target Feature 2 RD 27 Setting -up

• f producer

groups and

• rganisatio

ns Support under this measure shall be granted in

• rder to facilitate the setting up of producer

groups and organisations in the agriculture and forestry sectors for the purpose of: (a) adapting the production and output of producers who are members of such groups or

• rganisations to market requirements;

(b) jointly placing goods on the market, including preparation for sale, centralisation of sales and supply to bulk buyers; (c) establishing common rules on production information, with particular regard to harvesting and availability; and (d) other activities that may be carried out by producer groups and organisations, such as the development of business and marketing skills and the organisation and facilitation of the innovation processes. Young farmers, small farmers Make sure the budget and thresholds are correct for smaller groups

• Art 27: Setting -up of producer groups

and organisations

Reg. Art Name

What does it allow?

Target

Feature 2 RD 28 Agri-

Enviroment

• Climate

Measure

(AECM)

• Support AEC commitments
• Improve eco-systemic services

provided by on-farm beyond greening and cross- compliance

requirements

• Support for the conservation and

the sustainable use and development

• f genetic resources

Farmers or group

• f farmers and land

managers

Contractual measure, commitments to observe during 5 years

• Measure already existed in all the RDP, now extended to climate issues.

Supports farmers towards more sustainable in farming systems. New: possibility to contract collective AEC commitments among farmers. AEC payments compensate for income foregone per for single commitment per area on the farm. For instance ‘x’ € per hectare to reduce fertilisers or pesticides or, ‘y’ € per hectare to introduce a more advanced cropping system, i.e. more crops than required under Pillar 1 by the greening measure. Art 29 Organic, Art 30 Natura 2000, Art 31 ANC payments

Art 28: Agri-environmental-climate measures

How were Measures 214/1 and 214/2 HNV grassland payments targeted?

HNV area based on communes with more than 50% permanent grassland – rough but effective!

• 2.3 m ha eligible
• 1.2 m ha participating
• 230,000 farmers

participating (Average 5 ha / farmer)

Very simple rules that are effective in the protection of many HD and WBD habitats and species. Thus helping to achieve the aims of N2000, within and outside designated sites. 214/1. High Nature Value Grassland, Euros 124/ha

• Annual mowing or grazing obligatory. Mowing only after

1 July.

• Limited stocking rates (max 1L.U. per ha)
• Limited fym fertilisers, no artificial fertilisers
• Scrub clearance strictly checked

214/2. Traditional management. Additional Euros 58/ha

• No machinery allowed (grazing or hand-mowing)

Romania a-e payments (Measure 214)

Benefits: keeping farmers on the land

• These shepherds get €124 /ha basic grassland a-e payments +

€58 ha non-mechanisation + €100/ha direct payments = total €282 per ha per year

• They are not changing their behaviour. But without a-e payments

they would not continue. Multiple biodiversity and other ecosystem service benefits

Reg. Art Name

What does it allow?

Target

Feature 2 RD 31

Payments to areas facing natural

• r
• ther

specific constraints Payments to farmers in mountain areas and

• ther

areas facing natural

• r
• ther

specific constraints shall be granted annually per hectare

• f

agricultural area in

• rder

to compensate farmers for all

• r

part

• f

the additional costs and income foregone related to the constraints for agricultural production in the area concerned. Farmers in mountain areas and

• ther

areas facing natural

• r
• ther

specific constraints Automatic annual payments

• Art 31: Areas of natural Constraint

New measure may be a key one to support joint projects in all fields among groups of farmers, NGOs and rural development movements. Potential for rural, environmental and civil society groups to work together is significant.

Art 35: Cooperation measure

Bottom-up (i.e. rural community engaged, or rural community derived) method for rural development. As it is a community-led local development method for mobilising and developing rural communities through local public-private partnerships ('Local Action Groups'), it helps rural people, groups and enterprises consider the potential of their area, while encouraging the implementation

• f integrated and innovative local development strategies.

It is a key measure for RD networks and Community Led Local Development (CLLD) approach

Art 42: LEADER

Reg. Art Name What does it allow? Target Feature 2 RD 53, EIP

• exchange of expertise and good practices, establish a

dialogue between farmers and the research community and facilitate the inclusion of all stakeholders in the knowledge exchange process;

• promote a resource efficient, economically viable,

productive, competitive, low emission, climate friendly and resilient agricultural and forestry sector, progressing towards agro-ecological production systems and working in harmony with the essential natural resources on which farming and forestry depend;

• heIp deliver a steady and sustainable supply of food,

feed and biomaterials, both existing and new ones;

• improve processes to preserve the environment,

adapt to climate change and mitigate it;

• build bridges between cutting-edge research

knowledge and technology and farmers, forest managers, rural communities, businesses, NGOs and advisory services.

• creating added value by better linking research and

farming practice and encouraging the wider use of available innovation measures;

• promoting the faster and wider transposition of

innovative solutions into practice; and

• informing the scientific community about the research

needs of farming practice.

Groups, NGOs, networks, clusters They shall be set up by interested actors such as farmers, researchers, advisors and businesses involved in the agriculture and food sector, who are relevant for achieving the

• bjectives of the EIP.
• The Member States shall decide

within the framework of their programmes to what extent they will support the OG.

• Important

to include NGOs in EIP planning

• 80% EU funded

EIP operational groups are a key instrument to foster agro-

ecological innovations among groups of farmers, researchers, SMEs, NGOs. Note: NGOs must convince their national / regional authorities to include NGO- and Community-led initiatives, not just academic work.

Art 53: European Innovation Partnership

Farmers NGOs Advisors Researchers Agri- business

Operational Group

The European Innovation Partnership “Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability”

Guidance on management of farmland in Natura 2000

• Instruments that can support socio-

economic viability of farming in Natura 2000 areas  Pillar 2 local partnerships, co-operation projects, and producer groups  Pillar 2 Measures to support diversification

• f farming activities or to promote and add

value to agricultural products  Pillar 2 Measures to support farm infrastructure and modernisation  Farm advisory services, training and information

• Market-based instruments and

innovative instruments

• Labelling schemes, initiatives to promote

and add value to agricultural products, including organic certification

• Payments for Ecosystem Services

schemes

• Agrotourism and recreation activities

Thank you for your attention!

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