Water and Agriculture

Transcription

1 Water and Agriculture National Agri-Environment Conference 25 October 2018 Gort, Co. Galway Ger Shortle DG Environment, European Commission

2 EU Water Quality Introduction EU Water Legislation New CAP and Water Fitness Check on Water Legislation

3 Main Pressures on Water in the EU Nutrient loading: decreasing trend in concentrations Bigger decrease for P than N 1992 vs % N -50% P 25% of surface water bodies affected by diffuse ag. pollution 18 % of groundwater bodies affected by nitrates Water abstraction: decreasing for irrigation Down 22% since 1990s but not in the South

4 EEA draft European water - assessment of status and pressures 2018

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6 EU WATER LEGISLATION

7 Development in EU water legislation and policy Bathing Water Groundwater Drinking Water Protecting uses / Quality (70's 80's) Regulating sources of pollution (90's) Nitrates from agriculture Urban Waste Water Industrial emissions / IPPC Water framework directive Floods Protection Marine Strategy Integrated water management (00's) Implementation (10's) Blueprint Assesment of Implementation Evaluation of regulation

8 Water Framework Directive WFD Objectives Achieve of good status / potential No deterioration (Exemptions under certain conditions) Tools River Basin Management Plans and Programmes of Measures Existing legislation: urban waste water treatment, nitrates from agriculture, habitats, etc. Public participation Drinking Water Directive Nitrates directive Groundwater Directive Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive Industrial emissions Bathing Water Directive

9 WATER & THE NEW CAP

10 THE POST-2020 CAP AND THE ENVIRONMENT/CLIMATE CAP objectives: environment (incl. water) and climate prominent "Whole CAP" approach: conditionality details + environment-relevant Pillar I and Pillar II interventions all planned together in CAP plans Links to non-cap legislation on environment and climate: CAP plans to take account of analysis, objectives and targets from list of other legislation (incl. water) "No backsliding": legal obligation on MS to raise ambition on environment and climate compared to current period The new conditionality will combine and improve aspects of cross-compliance and "greening" Ring-fencing: MS to spend at least 30% of EAFRD budget on interventions directly targeted at environment and climate change (ANC payments no longer included) Better toolbox: including Pillar I "eco-schemes" new instrument

11 CAP SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ON THE ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE 1. Contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as sustainable energy 2. Foster sustainable development and efficient management of natural resources such as water, soil and air 3. Contribute to the protection of biodiversity, enhance ecosystem services and preserve habitats and landscapes

12 INCREASE AMBITION FOR ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE Increased ambition with regard to environmental- and climate-related objectives Member States shall aim to make, through their CAP Strategic Plans, a greater overall contribution to the achievement of the specific environmental- and climate-related objectives Member States shall explain in the CAP Strategic Plans how they intend to achieve this greater overall contribution

13 1 CAP strategic plan per MS covering (inter alia): Proposed implementation of conditionality Direct payments Support for rural development "WHOLE CAP" APPROACH All elements must work together to achieve CAP objectives Competent authorities for environment & climate to be "effectively involved"

14 CAP STRATEGIC PLANS Interventions Basic income support Eco-schemes Max transfer from P1 to P2: 15% +15% for environmental interventions Investments Measures for environment and climate Redistributive payment Young farmers (min 2%) Coupled payments (max 10%) Max transfer from P2 to P1: 15% +2% for environmental interventions Knowledge exchange and information Cooperation, Young Farmers, Risk Management Tools, Natura 2000 and Water Framework Directive payments Areas with Natural Constraints Pillar 1 (no earmarking) Pillar 2 (min 30% for environment /climate)

15 THE NEW GREEN ARCHITECTURE Voluntary - for farmers Farm advisory services Pillar I Eco-schemes Knowledge transfer Cooperation Greater flexibility Innovation Higher ambition Matching realities Investments Area-specific disadvantages Pillar II (>30%) Environment/climate management commitments 40% of budget climate relevant Mandatory - for MS Mandatory - for farmers Conditionality - new, enhanced, climate/environment (climate change, water, soil, biodiversity and landscapes) 14 practices built on EU standards and requirements from Nitrates Directive, Water Framework Directive and Natura 2000 Directives

16 ENHANCED CONDITIONALITY (environment) Climate change GAEC 1 to 3 Maintenance of permanent grassland Protection of wetland and peatland, Ban on burning arable stubble Water SMR1 SMR 2 GAEC 4 GAEC 5 Soil GAEC 6 GAEC 7 GAEC 8 Biodiversity and landscapes SMR 3 SMR 4 GAEC 9 WFD (autorisation for abstraction and pollution by phosphates) Nitrates Directive Buffer strips Sustainability Tool for Nutrients Tillage management reducing erosion No bare soil in most sensitive periods Crop rotation Birds directive Habitats Directive Non-productive features or areas (EFAs) + Retention of landscape features + Ban on cutting hedges and trees during the bird breeding and rearing season + As an option, measures for avoiding invasive plant species GAEC 10 Ban on converting or ploughing permanent grassland in Natura 2000 sites

17 New CAP & Water Conditionality links CAP support to compliance by farmers SMR 1: Water Framework Directive Art. 11(3)(e) control of abstraction and impoundments Art. 11(3)(h) control diffuse sources of pollution by phosphates Replaces current GAEC 2 (irrigation) and GAEC 3 (groundwater) SMR 2 Nitrates Directive - 91/676/EEC - Articles 4 and 5 GAEC 4 - buffer strips along water courses GAEC 2: Appropriate protection of wetland and peatland GAEC 5: Use of Farm Sustainability Tool for Nutrients MS must "establish system" for providing tool Tool must provide certain content/functions Farmers must use the tool

18 The Farm Sustainability Tool (FaST) - a nutrient management tool Objectives: Water quality, simplification and digitalization Features Automatic integration of data from various sources - LPIS and IACS, farmer-generated data, soil analyses etc. Soil sampling at appropriate spatial and temporal scale Information from farmer on management, crop history, and yield goals Nutrients - legal limits indicated and nutrient budget for farmer EU principles of data inter-operability, openness and re-use Data security and privacy guarantees - in line with best current standards Modularity and possibility to support further sustainability objectives - water protection measures, gaseous emissions management, biodiversity enhancement

19 PILLAR I - ECO-SCHEMES New - Pillar I funding for dedicated environment & climate schemes Mandatory for Member States Member States must offer eco-schemes to all farmers Voluntary for farmers Payment for delivery of environmental and climate services Content left to each MS, indicating level of ambition MS can choose to: compensate for income foregone/additional costs or provide an incentive Fully financed by the EU no need for co-funding

20 PILLAR II Full range of relevant Pillar II support retained: Payments for management commitments (including agri-environment-climate commitments) Payments to compensate for constraints (Water Framework Directive, Natura Directives also natural constraints*) N.B. WFD payments not to cover obligations under the Nitrates Directive!!! Support for investments, knowledge transfer, innovation, co-operation Current measures gathered into fewer "intervention types Environmental authorities shall be effectively involved in the development of the CAP Strategic Plans "Negative list" for investment support (unsustainable irrigation & forestry) Fewer detailed provisions in EU rules but principles retained

21 CAP ALIGNMENT WITH ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION Environmental authorities shall be effectively involved in the development of the CAP Strategic Plans The CAP Strategic Plan shall take into account the objectives and the planning tools in the legislation WFD, Nitrates Directive, Habitats, Air quality, etc. MS must offer training/advice on environmental legislation Impact indicators based on EU environmental objectives

22 What we "determine" What we influence strongly What we contribute to Outputs Results (& targets) Impacts Absolute figures (no. of ha, farmers, projects etc.) related to the various intervention types, e.g. Number of hectares covered by environment/climate commitments going beyond mandatory requirements Figures expressed as % shares of theoretically possible totals, e.g. Share of agricultural land under management commitments for water quality Share of farmers with support in investments related to care for the environment or climate Gross nutrient balance on agricultural land Percentage of groundwater stations with N concentration over 50 mg/l Water Exploitation Index Plus

23 Fitness Check of EU water legislation

24 Towards a Fitness Check (evaluation) of EU water legislation Assessment of 2 nd River Basin Management Plans and 1 st Flood Risk Management Plans (2017/2018) Environmental Quality Standards Directive Groundwater Directive Floods Directive Water Agriculture Task Force: study ongoing Governance and investments Diffuse pollution Abstraction Mid-2019 publication date for fitness check report

25 Thanks You Further information is available at: