alois posch

Agri Environmental Programme – a main topic of the EU Strategy for Rural Development Policy: 

Agri Environmental Programme – a main topic of the EU Strategy for Rural Development Policy Alois POSCH Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Environment and Water Management Division II 8 (Agri-Environmental Programme) This presentation is based on European Commission presentations

Common Agricultural PolicyFunding of the 2 pillars of CAP in 2002: 

Common Agricultural Policy Funding of the 2 pillars of CAP in 2002

Austrian Budget for rural development (plan from 2000)in mill. EURO public funds for 2000 - 2006 (total approx. 7 bill. EURO): 

Austrian Budget for rural development (plan from 2000) in mill. EURO public funds for 2000 - 2006 (total approx. 7 bill. EURO) 26 % 59 %

The pre-accession situation of the Austrian agriculture : 

The pre-accession situation of the Austrian agriculture High consciousness in the society of the importance farmers have for the society As a rule, low production intensity and few problems caused to the environment Long tradition of granting compensatory payments to farmers in particular for extensive and environmentally friendly farming

Accession to the EU as a threat for the environment: 

Accession to the EU as a threat for the environment Price cuts forced farmers to react! Without countermeasures they would have led to intensification with burdens on the environment and on the market, or to abandonment of holdings with negative consequences for the environment (particularly in less favoured areas)

Important characteristics of the AEP:: 

Important characteristics of the AEP: It respects the principle of making provisions for the future rather than having to restore a situation! Not only the reduction of intensification levels or additional input of manual work are to be recognised as a service to society, but the renunciation of intensification should also be seen as a service! The society is prepared to pay for these services

Programme balance – an important political focus: 

Programme balance – an important political focus Axis 1: Competitiveness at least 10 % of EU programme funding Axis 2: Land management at least 25 % Axis 3: Wider rural development at least 10 % Axis 4: LEADER approach at least 5 % (these 5 % count for the thematic axes as well) Liaison entre Actions de Développement de l’Economie Rural

The Community Strategic Guidelines will help to: 

The Community Strategic Guidelines will help to identify and agree the areas where the use of EU support for rural development will create the most value-added at EU level; make the link with the main EU priorities (Lisbon, Gothenburg) and translate them into RD policy; ensure consistency with other EU policies, in particular in the field of cohesion and environment; accompany the implementation of the new market-oriented Common Agricultural Policy and the necessary restructuring it will entail in the old and the new Member States.

Community priorities: 

Community priorities Axis 1: improving the competitiveness of the agricultural and forestry sectors Guideline 1: the resources devoted to axis 1 should contribute to a strong and dynamic European agrifood sector by focusing on the priorities of knowledge transfer and innovation in the food chain and priority sectors for investment in physical and human capital.

Key actions for axis 1: 

Key actions for axis 1 Facilitating innovation and access to Research & Development Improving integration in the agrifood chain Encouraging the take-up and diffusion of Information and Communication Technology Fostering dynamic entrepreneurship Development of new outlets for agricultural and forestry products Improving the environmental performance of farms and forestry Restructuring of the agricultural sector

Community priorities: 

Community priorities Axis 2: improving the environment and the countryside Guideline 2: the resources devoted to axis 2 should contribute to three EU level priority areas: biodiversity and preservation of high nature value farming and forestry systems, water and climate change.

Key actions for axis 2: 

Key actions for axis 2 Promoting environmental services and animal- friendly farming practices Preserving the farmed landscape Combating climate change Consolidating the contribution of organic farming Encouraging environmental/economic win-win initiatives Promoting territorial balance

Promoting environmental services and animal- friendly farming practices: 

Promoting environmental services and animal- friendly farming practices Maintaining and developing areas which are important from the point of view of nature protection and water protection, organic agriculture, control of the use of input according to environmental requirements, maintenance of meadow orchards, keeping and rearing of endangered animal species, cultivation of rare agricultural crops It has not yet been decided whether animal protection measures, which are not obligatory according to the Regulation, will be offered within the Austrian programme.

Preserving the farmed landscape: 

Preserving the farmed landscape Maintaining and developing areas which are important from the point of view of nature protection and water protection, keeping the cultivated landscape sites open Alpine pasturage and herding

Combating climate change: 

Combating climate change control of the use of input according to environmental requirements, spreading of liquid manure close to the soil These measures are integrated by information given to farmers by focal activities of advisory services, which are supported by axis 3, in order to avoid methane emission

Consolidating the contribution of organic farming: 

Consolidating the contribution of organic farming The premiums for organic farming within AEP are integrated by measures in the other axes, such as support for the processing and marketing of products. Here, too, advisory activities have to be mentioned, as they play an important role within these measures.

Encouraging environmental/economic win-win initiatives: 

Encouraging environmental/economic win-win initiatives Compensatory payments for environmental services, which make it economical to provide areas for nature protection

Promoting territorial balance: 

Promoting territorial balance Extensively farmed areas are often particularly important for nature protection; by compensating for environmental services the competitiveness of extensively farmed regions improve as compared to the areas which have favourable conditions

Community priorities: 

Community priorities Axis 3: improving the quality of life in rural areas and encouraging diversification Guideline 3: the resources devoted to axis 3 should contribute to the overarching priority of the creation of employment opportunities in the fields of diversification and quality of life.

Key actions for axis 3: 

Key actions for axis 3 Raising economic activity and employment rates in the wider rural economy Encouraging the entry of women into the labour market Developing micro-business Training young people in traditional rural skills Encouraging the take-up and diffusion of ICT Developing the provision and innovative use of renewable energy sources Encouraging the development of tourism Upgrading of the local infrastructure, particularly in the New Member States

Community priorities: 

Community priorities Axis 4 (Leader): building local capacity for employment and diversification Guideline 4: the resources devoted to axis 4 should contribute to the priorities of axis 1 and 2 and in particular of axis 3, but also play an important role in the priority of improving governance and mobilising the endogenous development potential of rural areas.

Key actions for axis 4: 

Key actions for axis 4 Building local partnership capacity Promoting private-public partnership Promoting cooperation and innovation Improving local governance

Community priorities: 

Community priorities Horizontal: translating priorities into programmes Guideline 5: in working out their national strategies, Member States should ensure that synergies between and within the axes are maximised and potential contradictions avoided. They will also wish to reflect on how other EU level strategies such as the Action Plan for Organic Farming , the latest Commission Communication on Renewable Energy, the Commission’s recent Communication on Climate Change and the Commission’s report on the EU Forestry Strategy (which can help deliver on both the growth and employment and the sustainability objectives) and the forthcoming thematic environmental strategies can be taken into account.

Community priorities: 

Community priorities Horizontal: complementarity between Community instruments Guideline 6: The synergy between structural, employment and rural development policies needs to be encouraged. In this context, Member States should ensure complementarity and coherence between actions to be financed by the ERDF, Cohesion Fund, ESF, EFF and EAFRD on a given territory and in a given field of activity. The main guiding principles as regards the demarcation line and the coordination mechanisms between actions supported by the different funds should be defined on the level of national strategic reference framework/national strategy plan.

The reporting system: 

The reporting system Strategic monitoring based on the common monitoring and evaluation framework is needed Limited set of common indicators (output, result and impact) which can be aggregated from the individual programmes (annual) to the MS summaries and the Commission EU level report (every 2 years) to measure progress in achieving the EU priorities

Examples of EU level lead indicators: 

Examples of EU level lead indicators GVA = Gross Value Added; GDP = Gross Domestic Product UAA = Utilized Agricultural Area LAG = Local Action Groups

The timetable:: 

The timetable: Legislative framework: Council regulation, 3 implementation regulations in place 2006, as are common monitoring and evaluation framework Community Strategic Guidelines: adoption in February National strategy plans: from February 2006 RD programmes: submission first half of 2006, approval second half of 2006

My conclusion: 

My conclusion Whether you are a member of the EU or not – agri-environmental measures seem to be an obligation! A series of difficult decisions – particularly from the political point of view – have to be taken (for instance, the proportion of the importance of the axes among each other or cohesion of strategies) The success of agri-environmental measures depends not least on qualified planning. We have made the experience that the collaboration of agricultural authorities and nature protection authorities is indispensable! Accompanying monitoring and evaluation are not only required by the EU Commission, but they are also important for justifying the services rendered to the public