ESTONIAN LAND PARCEL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM Ahti Bleive Deputy Director Estonian Agricultural Registers and Information Board

DEFINITIONS Physical block – natural boundaries, one or several farmers, one or several crops Farmer block – natural or other boundaries, one farmer, one or several crops Agricultural parcel – natural or other boundaries, one farmer, one crop Cadastral parcel – cadastral boundaries, one or several farmers, one or several crops

HISTORY 1999 – development of LPIS database started. Pilot project consultation with Commission and decision to use physical block system digitization of blocks and communication with farmers – new orthophotos 2003 – first GIS system for administrating and managing reference parcels data.

HISTORY – Estonia joined EU and we started to administrate area based EU supports (SAPS, LFA, AEM etc.) – web-map – decision to change the system from physical block to farmer block – exchange of the system step by step – 91% of blocks declared by one farmer.

Number of reference parcels

USE OF REFERENCE PARCELS Preprinted maps of reference parcels. Web-map for farmers (printing, measuring, searching) - E-service for farmers: digitization of parcels, submitting applications for area based supports. Crosschecks between reference parcel data and aid application data. Crosschecks of eligibility for different area supports (LFA, SNH etc.)

STRENGHTS OF PHYSICAL BLOCK SYSTEM Easy to create. Less communication with farmers at the stage of creation and updating, compare to other systems. Easy to manage and update. Stable situation (less updates compare to other systems).

WEAKNESSES Too large blocks cause more inaccuracies. More over and underdeclarations compare to farmers block system. In case of physical block system it’s quite difficult for us to fulfill new (7) requirements for LPIS. Complicated for farmers (determination of exact area).

CONCLUSION LPIS is a key element for administration of area based measures. There are several different possibilities how to build up LPIS (based on physical or farmers block etc.) There is no right or wrong system. Selection of the basis for LPIS depends in member states from many aspects (natural, historical, farms structure etc.)

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