Factsheet on Rural Development Programme for Sardinia

Transcription

1 Factsheet n Rural Develpment Prgramme fr Sardinia The Rural Develpment Prgramme (RDP) fr Sardinia was frmally adpted by the Eurpean Cmmissin n August 19th 2015, utlining Sardinia pririties fr using the nearly 1.3 billin f public mney that is available fr the 7-year perid (ver 620 millin frm the EU budget, including nearly 670 millin f natinal cfunding). Sardinia's RDP is putting particular emphasis n envirnment-climate-friendly farm investments and n actins related t restring, preserving and enhancing ecsystem. Nearly 17 % f the agricultural land will be under management cntracts supprting bidiversity, 15 % under cntracts t imprve water management and anther 19 % under cntracts t imprve sil management. Animal welfare is als high n the agenda. Over hlding will receive investment supprt t restructure and mdernise, yung farmers will receive supprt t launch their business and the regin will implement the Eurpean Innvatin Partnership t help deliver innvative slutins fr the farm sectr. In additin Sardinia's RDP will cntribute t scial inclusin and ecnmic develpment in rural areas with 40 % f the rural ppulatin cvered by lcal develpment strategies. Supprt fr Rural Develpment is the 2nd Pillar f the Cmmn Agricultural Plicy, prviding Member States with an envelpe f EU funding t manage natinally r reginally under multi-annual, c-funded prgrammes. In ttal, 118 prgrammes are freseen in all 28 Member States. The new RD Regulatin fr the perid addresses six ecnmic, envirnmental and scial pririties, and prgrammes cntain clear targets setting ut what is t be achieved. Mrever, in rder t crdinate actins better and maximise synergies with the ther Eurpean Structural & Investment Funds (ESIF), a Partnership Agreement has been agreed with each Member State highlighting its brad strategy fr EU-funded structural investment. This dcument prvides a brief verview f hw the challenges and pprtunities Sardinia is facing are addressed by the RDP. In the annex, a table indicates the pririties and fcus areas each with their specific targets, and their allcated budget. 1. SITUATION AND KEY CHALLENGES In Italy, rural develpment is implemented thrugh 22 separate RDPs ne at natinal level and 21 reginal RDPs. In additin, the Natinal Rural Netwrk Prgramme prvides the funding fr the netwrking f rural develpment actrs in Italy. Sardinia cvers an area f nearly km², f which mre than 81 % is rural. Of the ttal area, agricultural land cvers 44 % and frest land 17 % and anther 35 % cnsists f natural grassland and natural areas. The unemplyment rate is almst 18 % (2015). Sardinia has nearly 1.7 millin inhabitants, f which 83 % live in rural areas. Besides

2 farming, the fd sectr als plays an imprtant rle within rural areas, but bth sectrs are facing structural changes. Sardinia has been fr thusands f years specializing in sheep breeding and, t a lesser extent, gats and cattle. Higher standard f animal husbandry is ne f the main challenges f the RDP. Sils are largely underpwered, shallw and therefre nt very prductive althugh agriculture has played a very imprtant rle in the ecnmic histry f the island, especially in the great plain f Campidan, particularly suitable fr wheat farming. Water scarcity was the first prblem that was faced fr the mdernizatin f the sectr and it is still ne f the main envirnmental prblems. Sardinia's rural areas are challenged by a persistent lss f business activity, migratin f labur frce, and demgraphic changes. 2. HOW THE SARDINIA'S RDP WILL ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES In addressing these challenges, Sardinia's RDP will fund actin under six Rural Develpment pririties with a particular emphasis n restring, preserving and enhancing ecsystems related t agriculture and frestry as well as the cmpetitiveness f the agri sectr and fd chain rganisatin/animal welfare. The fcus f each pririty is explained briefly belw. Knwledge transfer and innvatin in agriculture, frestry and rural areas Knwledge transfer system (demnstratin activities, infrmatin actins and exchange visits) will be enhanced thrugh specific training addressed t farmers with regard ntably t climate change, sustainable agriculture and fd quality. Particular attentin will be paid t the training f new entrepreneurs, especially yung farmers. Over 9000 places will be made available in infrmatin activities and the prgramme will give farmers access t advisry services n tpics related t the RDP pririties. The Regin is planning t help launch mre than 77 c-peratin prjects f which 6 will be Operatinal Grups under the Eurpean Innvatin Partnership fr Agricultural Prductivity and Sustainability. Cmpetitiveness f agri sectr and sustainable frestry Requests fr supprt t farm investments and mdernisatin are ranked first amng the activated RDP measures and pririty will be given t undertakings with innvative ptential, prjects f yung farmers, rganic farming and integrated prjects. The sustainability f agricultural prductin is taken int accunt als by prmting a ratinal use f water resurces and an efficient use f renewable energy resurces. Diversificatin activities will als be supprted. Fd chain rganisatin, including prcessing and marketing f agricultural prducts, animal welfare and risk management in agriculture Under this pririty, Sardinia will supprt the prmtin f quality prducts. The RDP is expected t supprt 400 farms t participate in quality schemes. The RDP will als supprt the develpment and strengthening f supply chains, including shrt supply chains and lcal markets, in rder t help achieve a higher incme fr farmers (supprt is expected fr 500 farms).

3 Supprt fr animal welfare is als available fr farmers wh undertake t adpt high standards f animal husbandry which g beynd the relevant mandatry standards (nearly farms will be supprted). Restring, preserving and enhancing ecsystems related t agriculture and frestry Under this pririty, Sardinia will fcus n envirnment-climate-friendly investments with particular emphasis n quality f water as well as bidiversity and sil prtectin. Nearly 17 % f the agricultural land will be under management cntracts supprting bidiversity, 15 % fr cntracts t imprve water management and anther 19 % fr cntracts t imprve sil management. A ttal f hectares will receive supprt t cnvert t rganic farming and anther ha t maintain it. Additinally, the RDP includes a cperatin measure fr jint climate change adaptatin and mitigatin actins. Resurce efficiency and climate Under this pririty, RDP Sardinia will pursue carbn cnservatin and sequestratin mainly by supprting affrestatin, agrfrestry systems, the preventin and restratin f damage t frests, the imprvement f the resilience and envirnmental value f frest ecsystems as well as their cnservatin. Additinally, the c-peratin measure will supprt enhanced sustainability thrugh the Eurpean Innvatin Partnership and thrugh c-peratin fr climate change adaptatin and mitigatin. Scial inclusin and lcal develpment in rural areas The RDP f Sardinia pays particular attentin t scial inclusin and ecnmic develpment in rural areas. This pririty is implemented mainly by the bttm-up apprach thrugh Lcal Develpment Strategies, expected t be drawn up by 17 Lcal Actin Grups (LAGs). Lcal Develpment Strategies will cver 40 % f the rural ppulatin and create arund 500 additinal jbs. Mre than 245 beneficiaries will receive supprt fr investments in nn-agricultural activities in rural areas. The fur biggest RDP measures in budgetary terms (ttal public funding) are: 259,8 millin allcated t measure 4 (Investments in physical assets) 225,6 millin allcated t measure 14 (Animal Walfare) 222,6 millin allcated t measure 13 (ANC) 163 millin allcated t measure 10 (Agri-Envirnment-Climate)

4 Annex 1: Indicative public supprt fr the Rural Develpment Prgramme in Sardinia Target Measure Ttal public % Pririty1: Knwledge transfer and innvatin in agriculture, frestry and rural areas 1 1A: Fstering innvatin, cperatin, knwledge base 3.38 % f RDP expenditure 1B: Strengthening links (with research etc.) 77 cperatin prjects 1C: Infrmatin actin participants trained Pririty 2: Farm viability, cmpetitiveness and sustainable frest management A: Ecnmic perfrmance, restructuring & mdernisatin 3.08 % f hldings with RDP supprt investments B: Generatinal renewal % f hldings with RDP supprted business develpment plan/investments fr yung farmers 04 investments farm / business develpment Cperatin Pririty 3: Fd chain rganisatin, including prcessing and marketing f agricultural prducts, animal welfare and risk management A: Imprving cmpetitiveness f primary prducers 1.97 % f agricultural hldings receiving supprt fr participating in quality schemes, lcal markets and shrt supply circuits, and prducer grups/rganisatins quality schemes investments prducer grups animal welfare B: Farm risk preventin and management 0.14% f farms participating in risk management schemes restring agric N financial allcatin shwn fr Pririty 1 as the expenditure is distributed acrss ther fcus areas.

5 Ptential Pririty 4: Restring, preserving and enhancing ecsystems in agriculture and frestry A Bidiversity % f frest/ther wded area under cntracts % f agricultural land under cntracts 07 basic services B Water management 10 AEC % f agricultural land under cntracts 11 rganic farming % f frestry land under cntracts 13 ANC C Sil ersin and management 15 Frest - env % f agricultural land under cntracts % f frestry land under cntracts Pririty 5: Resurce efficiency and shift t lw carbn and climate resilience ecnmy in agriculture, fd and frestry sectrs A Water efficiency % f irrigated land switching t mre efficient irrigatin systems investments C Renewable energy Ttal investment in renewable energy prductin basic services E Carbn cnservatin and sequestratin 08 frests % f agricultural and frest land under management cntracts cntributing t carbn sequestratin r cnservatin Pririty 6: Scial inclusin, pverty reductin and ecnmic develpment in rural areas A Diversificatin, SME and jb creatin 380 jbs created in supprted prjects farm / business develpment basic services frest Expenditure under Pririty 4 is prgrammed fr the pririty as a whle, nt fr individual fcus areas

6 6B Fstering lcal develpment % rural ppulatin under lcal develpment strategies 499 jbs created (via LEADER) LEADER and CLLD C Access t and quality f ICT % f rural ppulatin benefiting frm new r imprved services/infrastructures (ICT) basic services Technical Assistance Ttal public expenditure