Download - EU Rural Development Regulation No 1698/2005 and its forestry relevant measures, Tamas Szedlak
Tamas SzedlakEuropean Commission
Directorate General Agriculture and Rural Development Unit F6. Bioenergy, biomass, forestry and climate change
EU Rural Development Regulation No 1698/2005 and its forestry relevant
measuresBudapest 21-22 September 2006
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Forestry in the EU
Forests and other wooded land cover 166 million ha, (43,2% of land area) from which forests cover 145 million ha, (37,8%)
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Country distributionForest % of land area
01020304050607080
Austri
a
Belgium
Cypru
s
Czech
Rep
ublic
Denm
ark
Estonia
Finlan
d
Franc
e
Germ
any
Greec
e
Hunga
ry
Irelan
dIta
ly
Latvi
a
Lithu
ania
Luxe
mbo
urg
Mal
ta
Nethe
rland
s
Poland
Portu
gal
Slovak
ia
Sloven
ia
Spain
Sweden
United
Kin
gdom
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Public forest represents 40% of forest area and private forests: 60% with about 15 million forest owners.
The average size of EU state-owned forest holdings is about 1 000 ha,
Community forests:~ 300 ha Private forest holdings have an average size
of 13 ha. (many < 5 ha)
Forest ownership
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EU Rural Development Policy Agenda 2000
CR (EC) No 1257/1999
CR (EC) No 1698/2005
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CR (EC) No 1257/1999 Afforestation of agricultural land (Art. 31) Investments to improve the multifunctional
role of forests (Art. 30) Improvement of the forest protection values
(Art. 32) Vocational training (Art.9)
Budget: 4.8 Billion € Afforestation: 2.4 billion € Other forestry measure: 2.4 billion €
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Rural Development Regulation 2007-2013 CR (EC) No 1698/2005
Three core objectives:
• Improving the competitiveness of the farm and forestry sector through support for restructuring, development and innovation
• Improving the environment and the countryside through support for land management
• Improving the quality of life in rural areas and encouraging diversification of economic activity
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Axis 1: Improving competitiveness of the forestry sector
Investments Infrastructure Vocational training Advisory services Innovation (new products, biomass for
energy)
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Axis 1: Forestry measuresMeasures aimed at improving human potential through:
Vocational training and information actions for persons engaged in the agricultural and forestry sectors
Not normal education
Use by farmers and forest holders of advisory servicesTo improve performanceLevel of support: 80% of the cost up to 1,500€ per advisory service
Setting up of farm management, farm relief and farm advisory services, as well as of forestry advisory services
Main conditions: enlarged to include forestry advisory services
Level of support: No limit, but digressive over max. 5 years from setting up
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Axis 1: Forestry measuresMeasures aimed at restructuring physical potential through:
Improving the economic value of forests- based on management plan - for forests owned by private owners/municipalities or their
associations - aid intensity 60 % (natural handicap, N 2000), 85 % (OR),50%
- investments at forest holding level, may include harvesting equipment
- no support for restocking
Adding value to primary agricultural and forestry production- In the case of forestry, support only for micro-enterprises (<10 staff, max. 2 mio € turnover)- aid intensity 50 % (convergence),75/65 %(OR/Aegean), 40 %- investments related to the use of wood as a raw material is limited to
all working operations prior to industrial processing
Improving and developing infrastructure related to the development and adaptation agriculture and forestry
- i.a. access to forest land, energy supply
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Axis 1: New measure introduced to promote innovation:
Cooperation for development of new products, processes and technologies in the agriculture and food sector and in the forestry sector
Between primary producers in agriculture and forestry, the processing industry and/or third parties
– preparatory operations, such as design, product, process or technology development and tests and tangible and/or intangible investments related to the cooperation, before the use of the newly developed products, processes and technologies for commercial purposes.
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Axis 2 : Improving the environment and the countryside
Forestry land: first afforestation*; first establishment of agro-forestry systems, Natura 2000 areas; forest-environment; restoring forestry potential and introducing
prevention actions; support for non-productive investments
*an agri-environment commitment may be converted into a commitment for first afforestation of agricultural land
MS shall designate the areas eligible for afforestation
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Axis 2: Land management/environmentFirst afforestation
Aid intensity for establishment costs:- 70% outside handicap areas- 80% in handicap areas and 85% in the outermost regions
"establishment costs" shall include the cost for the plantation material, the
cost of the plantation and the cost directly linked to and necessary for the
plantation,
"fast-growing species for short–term cultivation“: rotation time less than 15
years
Of agricultural land:
+ Annual premiums to cover loss of income to farmers (or associations
thereof) maximum 700 EUR/ha, or other natural persons or private-law
corporations maximum 150 EUR/ha, up to 15 years.
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Axis 2: Forestry – new measureFirst establishment of agroforestry systems on agricultural land
Main conditions: Support granted to create systems combining extensive agriculture and forestry on the same land. Christmas trees and fast-growing species are excluded from support.
– Member States, taking account of local conditions, forestry species and the need to ensure continuation of the agricultural use of the land, shall determine the maximum number of trees planted per hectare.
Aid intensity, for establishment costs only:- 70% outside handicap areas- 80% in handicap areas and 85% in the outermost regions
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Axis 2: Forestry – current art. 32 (1), 1st indentNATURA 2000 payments: Main conditions:
The measure becomes Natura 2000-specific. Support covers cost incurred and income foregone resulting from the restrictions of the use of the forestland due to Natura 2000.
Levels of support: Minimum 40€/ha, maximum 200€/ha
Forest-environment payments: Main conditions:
The measure becomes more environment-specific, similar to agri-environment. Support is granted for forest-environment commitments going beyond (national) mandatory standards, and running for 5 years (or another period where justified); support covers additional costs and income foregone
Levels of support: Minimum 40€/ha, maximum 200€/ha
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Restoring forestry production potential and introducing prevention actions: Main conditions: Preventive actions against fires shall concern forests under high-medium forest-fire risk according to the MS forest protection plans. Level of support: No limit
examples: establishment of protective infrastructures such as forest paths, tracks, water supply points, fire breaks, cleared and felled areas, launching of operations to maintain fire breaks and cleared and felled areas; preventive forestry practices such as vegetation control, thinning, diversification of vegetation structure; setting-up or improvement of fixed forest fire monitoring facilities and communication equipment.
Axis 2: Forestry
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Support for non-productive investments : Main conditions: "non-productive investments” shall mean investments that do not lead to any significant increase in the value or profitability of the agricultural or the forestry holding. Level of support: No limitNew separate measure taking over part of the existing CR 1257/1999 Art. 33(11th) and 30(1)(2nd) measures and complementing them with regard to the forest-environmental measure: grant of non-productive support is linked to the achievement of commitments undertaken under the forest-environmental measure, or in order to enhance the public amenity value of the area concerned.
Axis 2: Forestry
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Axis 3 : Diversification, quality of life Diversification of the rural economy:
diversification to non-agricultural activities; support for micro-enterprises; encouragement of tourism activities*
*-small-scale infrastructure such as information centres and the signposting of tourist sites;
-recreational- infrastructure such as the offering access to natural areas, and small-capacity accommodation,
-the development and/or marketing of tourism services relating to rural tourism
Improvement of the quality of life:basic services for the economy and rural population; village renewal; conservation and upgrading of the rural heritage (natural and cultural)
Training and capacity building
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Axis 4 : Leader Implementation of local development strategies through a Leader
approach to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of one or several of the three other axes
Inter-territorial and trans-national cooperation between LAGs
Capacity building and functioning of LAGs
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Programme balance Axis 1: Competitiveness at least 10% of EU
programme funding Axis 2: Land management at least 25% (10%
in French Overseas Departments) Axis 3: Wider rural development at least 10% Axis 4: LEADER at least 5% (but counts for
the other axes)
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Community cofinancing rates At the level of the axis as share of total
eligible public expenditure For axis 1 and 3 a maximum cofinancing
rate of 50% (75% in Convergence regions) For axis 2 and 4 a maximum cofinancing
rate of 55% (80% in Convergence regions) For all axes 85% in outermost regions
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Programming steps1. Community strategic guidelines setting out the EU priorities for
the period 2007-2013
2. National strategy plans translating the EU priorities to the
member state situation and ensuring complementarity with
Cohesion policy
3. National or regional rural development programmes articulating
the four axes
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Reporting based on a common framework for monitoring and evaluation
Annual progress reports at programme level
National summary reports on progress in implementation of the national strategy: 2010 – 2012 - 2014
Commission summary report to the Council and the EP on the progress in implementation of the EU strategy and priorities: 2011 – 2013 – 2015
Ongoing evaluation: ex-ante (programme)ongoing activities (annual progress report)mid-term (2010)ex-post (2014)
} specific reports
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Thank you for your attention!