1. Update on process for agreeing Rural Development Programmes
1 October 2014,
Claire MCCAMPHILL
DG Environment

2. OVERVIEW RDP process and importance for WFD
What has been assessed in draft RDPs
Next steps

3. RDP process importance for WFD
- Draft RDPs submitted to COM by end July
- AGRI conduct Inter service consultation
- AGRI send observation letter to MS
- Meetings between DG AGRI (&ENV for key issues), MS to address observations
- MS send draft final RDPs
Second ISC
- Adoption of RDPs (deadline end Dec 2014)
- Final RDPs establish funding framework for c 20% of the CAP budget for next 7 years
- Will define to what extent agriculture pressures will be addressed through the RDP for the 2nd RBMP
- if you expect the RDP to contribute postively to 2nd POMs, time to act is now

4. What we assessed
SWOT
NEEDS
STRATEGY
BUDGET
MEASURES

5. SWOT – General Description
What were we looking for?
What we are questioning
- Does the general description of the environment describe the water situation using WFD terminology?
- Does the water description use up-to-date data? What are the sources?
- Does the description align with the pressures identified in the WFD RBMPs?
- General statements about pressures without clear information on the extent of the problem
- No reference to WFD Art. 5 report, either from 2009 or from 2012 (using only agri data)
Pressures identified in the RBMPs not present in the SWOT
- Lack of information regarding HYDROMORPHOLOGY and how affects good ecological status!
Downplaying of pressures

6. SWOT – Identification of Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats
What were we looking for?
Are there strengths related to the water environment?
Do the weaknesses properly link back to the pressures mentioned in the RDP?
Is there recognition of the opportunities for environment and ecosystem services?
Are threats related to the deterioration of the environment (water) or do they focus mainly on economic issues?

7. NEEDS What we are questioning What we were looking for
- Needs identified in relation to the pressures identified
- Specific needs for water - well described, linked to WFD
E.g.
- Reduced nutrient load from agriculture (to improve the quality of surface waters)
- Achieve the ecological functioning of water bodies, taking into account the flood protection requirements
- Implementation of the WFD and restoration of water bodies:
- Not having needs developed that address the pressures identified in the SWOT - often the case for Hydromorphology
- Too general Needs like “Ensuring the sustainability of agriculture”

8. Strategy – Description of Priority 4b and 5a
What we were looking for
What we are questioning
Focussing on economic competitiveness and biodiversity conservation in the general strategy without consideration of achieving WFD objectives
Weak descriptions/no descriptions of priority 4b and 5a
Not mentioning all the identified water pressures (SWOT) as goals to overcome in P4b or 5a
Specific references to water legislation as a key consideration/objective of the overall strategy
Specific reference to achieving WFD, Floods, etc. in the descriptions of Priority 4b and P5a.
References to achieving “good status” for quantified progress towards this

9. Budget What we are questioning What were we looking for?
Share of budget going towards Priority 4
Significant share of total budget (>35% towards P4)
Share of budget for Art in comparison to the budget for Art , Art. 26
Financing measures that could have a detrimental effect on water management and making achieving WFD objectives more difficult
Hard flood defence
measures that do not properly safeguard against further impacting ecological status of SWBs
Irrigation measures with no reference to Art. 46
Emphasis on land consolidation, drainage, road building when intensification of agriculture has been identified as a threat

10. measures M1 (Art. 14) on Knowledge transfer and information actions
Training on WFD implementation
M2 (Art. 15) on Advisory services
Advice to help implementation of WFD

11. M4 (Art. 17) Investments in physical assets
Water saving technologies
Water storage
Rainwater harvesting
Installations for waste water treatment on farms
Modernisation of manure storage and handling facilities
Non-productive investments
Wetland restoration
River restoration
Land consolidation for increasing the retention capacity of landscape
Land swaps
Irrigation measures with CLEARLY DEFINED Art. 46 criteria
Prioritizing organic farmers,
Drainage measures CLEARLY linked to WFD objectives to avoid further degradation
Multi-pronged approach to irrigation in water scarce regions:
Rainwater harvesting, water storage, switch to drip irrigation, reducing losses in network

12. M8 (Art. 21-26) Investments in Forests
Improve the water balance in the supported afforested and neighbouring areas
Afforestation of riparian areas
Preserve or re-establish native trees along river margins
Provide shade for livestock for reduced water stress
Afforestation of drinking water zones
Preventive flood control operations
Targeted planting of forests in headwater areas
Forests as large-scale water pumps
Re-meandering of forestry-affected rivers
Afforestation of agriculture areas for water quality improvements

13. M10 (Art. 28) Agri-Environment-climate measures
What we are questioning
What were we looking for
Not addressing a pressure
E.g. No measures for hydromorphology
Partially addressing a pressure
E.g. reducing nutrient inputs on pastureland but not on arable land
Not targeting pollution (N,P, PPPs) measures to failing WBs
Not targeting risk areas identified in the SWOT (NVZs, flood, erosion)
Missed opportunities for landscape-scale projects
Measures address all identified water pressures Measures specifically designed for WFD Targeting of measures (to address risk, secure good status) Cooperation possibilities

14. Overall a HUGE missed opportunity!
M16 (Art. 35) Cooperation
M12 (Art. 30) WFD payments
- Payments for WFD mandatory measures
- very few examples
Overall a HUGE missed opportunity!
- Pilot projects geared towards innovative approaches to water management
– TAKING ADVANTAGE OF LANDSCAPE SCALE
Floodplain restoration, wetlands (quality and quantity), afforestation of riparian forests, continuous forest coverage, reconnecting of hydraulic annexes, Natural bank stabilisation, Elimination of river bank protection, restoration of low-order streams (to improve quality)

15. Next steps …for MS
Get the Intervention logic right – Total alignment with WFD terms
Proper SWOT – clear depiction of status of WBs and reasons for failing good status
Define Needs in line with objectives of the WFD
Make WFD a clear objective for the strategy
Include the WFD as a clear consideration under Priority 4b and 5a
Make sure to include measures that address all pressures and are designed to address the identified needs
Take a coherent approach to water management
Don’t include measures that further exacerbate water pressures
Address all pressures – especially morphological issues
Link irrigation, drainage, flooding and restoration measures with WFD and Floods Directive