1. Rural development support for implementing the Water Framework Directive
Expert Group on WFD and Agriculture
Seville, 6-7 April 2010

2. Water management under the CAP
Decoupled payments
Cross compliance: 2 compulsory GAEC
Buffer strips along water courses (no later than 2012)
Compliance with authorization procedures for irrigation
Rural development
Investments
Payments to land managers
Training and Information
decoupled payments means
no link to production, therefore no need to intensive agricultural practices (highly- consuming water)
Need to meet GAECs to receive support 2

3. Indicative list in Annex II of Regulation 1698/2005
Axis 1
Article 21: Vocational training and information actions
Article 26: Modernization of agricultural holdings
Article 28: Adding value to agricultural and forestry products
Article 30: Infrastructures related to the development and adaptation of agriculture and forestry
Priority:
Water management
HC + EERP (European Economic Recovery Package) 4.9 billion euros injected in RDPs
27% of additional funds allocated to the “water management” priority (31% biodiversity): 56% BG, 49% DK, 40% GR, 46% FR, 33% ES
Training: raising awareness and knowledge increase indirectly the efficiency of opperations related to water management
Examples of water infrastructures:
water pumping, transportation and distribution of water, regulation, storage and control systems, installation of water measure and control devices, IT technology and software management for irrigated holdings

4. Indicative list in Annex II of Regulation 1698/2005
Axis 2
Article 38: Natura 2000 and WFD payments
Article 39: Agri-environment payments
Article 41: Non-productive investments
Articles 43 and 45: First afforestation of agricultural and non-agricultural land
Axis 3
Article 57: Conservation and upgrading of the rural heritage
Article 58: Training and information
Priority:
Water management
AEM: soil management practices (catch crops, organic farming, conversion of arable land into permanent pastures) reduction of fertilisers and pesticides, targeted measures to wetlands (rice cultivation)
Non-productive investments: creation of wetlands, conversion of agricultural land into swamps
Article 57: Natural heritage is part of rural heritage. Eligible actions: environmental awareness actions, investments associates with maintenance, restoration and upgrading of the natural heritage (including river basins)
Article 58: training to economic actors operating in the fields covered by Axis 3 measures (not only farmers), including actions to raise awareness about sustainable use of water.

5. Specific support for the WFD
Article 38 of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005
Annual support per hectare of UAA
Compensation for costs incurred and income foregone
Resulting from serious disadvantages related to the implementation of the WFD
New Article 26a of Regulation (EC) No 1974/2006
(as amended by Regulation (EU) No 108/2010)
UAA: Utilized Agricultural area
Annual support of UAA: no multiannual payments, no multiannual commitments (AEM), no one-off payments
Costs incurred & income foregone: differentiated amount per crops are possible as part of the calculation of the cost incurred / income foregone 5

6. Conditions of support (Article 26a(2))
Specific support
for the WFD
Conditions of support (Article 26a(2))
Compensation for disadvantages for specific requirements:
introduced by the WFD and going beyond other legislation for the protection of water and the level of protection at the time the WFD was adopted
going beyond SMR and GAEC
imposing major changes in type of land use and/or major restrictions in farming practice resulting in a significant loss of income
Going beyond other legislation for the protection of water and the level of protection at the time the WFD was adopted: This includes, but is not limited to, measures required under the legislation specified in Article 10 and in Part A of Annex VI of the WFD
SMR: Statutory Management Requirements. GAEC: Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions
GAECs: The payment under Article 38 should only concern the obligations not included in GAEC. But the use of Article 38 is possible until a GAEC on buffer strips is established. And afterwards it is possible to support buffer strip obligations going beyond the GAEC
Support to adjust to voluntary measures and mandatory measures that do not meet these three criteria may be granted under art. 31 “Meeting standards based on Community legislation” 6

7. Amounts of payment (Article 26a(3))
Specific support
for the WFD
Amounts of payment (Article 26a(3))
Maximum amount
500 EUR per hectare for the first 5 years
200 EUR per hectare
may be increased in specific justified circumstances
Minimum amount
50 EUR per hectare
500 EUR / ha 1st 5 years: Digressive payments during the first five years are possible if they correspond to the real situation, or where the Member State chooses not to compensate the full cost incurred
May be increased in specific justified circumstances: 'Specific circumstances' should go beyond simply higher costs and should be well justified
50€ per hectare: minimum amount to reflect that compensation should be granted only in cases of serious disadvantages 7

8. Looking at possible measures
To be examined on a case by case basis:
Afforestation
Buffer strips
Conversion to extensive grassland
Wetlands
Terraces
Input saving measures … 8

9. Thank you for your attention!