The Farm Advisory System First results of implementation in the Member States Inge Van Oost EC - DG Agriculture and Rural Development Unit D.3 Cross Compliance JRC FAS Workshop - Schwäbisch Gmünd - 10 June 2009
FAS: main elements (Art. 13-16 of R.1782/2003) The setting up of a FAS per MS is an essential part of the CAP reform The FAS does not replace the different existing advisory systems in the MSs but officialises a system with a clear goal: cross-compliance As from 1 January 2007, MS are obliged to establish a system of advising farmers on land and farm management (the official Farm Advisory System ) 2
FAS: conditions (Art.14 of R.1782/2003) Farmers may participate in the FAS on a voluntary basis R.1782: MSs must give priority to the farmers who receive more than 15000 direct payments per year (not excluding other MS-priorities) Health Check new R.73 now leaves more flexibility 1 st pillar regulation does not specify conditions as to the frequency of advice, the qualification of advisers, whether the advice has to be paid, etc. 3
Year of introduction of the FAS Before 2004 : BG. 3 Regions: IT-CA, IT-SA, IT-VA 2004 : CZ 2005 3 MS: EE, LU, NL 2006 2 MS: DK, SI. 4 Regions: BE-FL, IT-LI, IT-PI, IT-VE 2007 12 MS: AT, CY, DE, EL, FI, FR, HU, IE, PL, RO, SE, SK 13 Regions: BE-WA, IT-BO, IT-ER, IT-FV, IT-LO, IT-MA IT-PU, IT-SI, IT-TO, IT-TR, UK-NI, UK-SC, UK-WA 2008 2 MS: LT, PT 4 Regions: IT-AB, IT-LA, PT-AZ, PT-MA 2009 : LV DG AGRI - D.3 - Inge Van Oost - Schwäbisch Gmünd - 10/06/2009 4
How were farmers informed on the existance and functioning activities of FAS? 40 35 MS Regions 30 17 25 20 11 14 11 15 10 5 0 19 5 W eb TV, radio Articles in Promotional newspapers, events, faires, journals, magazines information training DG AGRI - D.3 - Inge Van Oost - Schwäbisch Gmünd - 10/06/2009 14 15 16 Information materials (leaflet, CD, CC guide, booklet) 3 8 Involvement of stakeholders / social actors 1 No infos 5
Authority responsible MS / Regions TOT* Ministry National level AT, CZ, EL, IE, LT, LV, NL, PL, PT, RO 9,5 Regional Authority BE (BE-FL, BE-WA), DE, FR, IT (IT-AB, IT-BO, IT-CA, IT-ER, IT-LA, IT-LI, IT-MA, IT- PI, IT-PU, IT-TO, IT-TR, IT-VA), UK (UK-NI, UK-SC, UK-WA) 4,5 Designated bodies by the Ministry or by Regional Authority / State Institutions BG, CY, DE, DK, EE, HU, (IT-TO), SE, SI, SK 8,5 Paying Agency 0 Others CZ, FI 1,5 No coordination LU, (IT-ER, IT-LO, IT-VE) 1 No answer (IT-BA, IT-FV, IT-SA, IT-SI) 0 * Approximate value DG AGRI - D.3 - Inge Van Oost - Schwäbisch Gmünd - 10/06/2009 6
Ministry National level Regional Authority Authority responsible MS / Regions TOT* Designated bodies by the Ministry or by Regional Authority / State Institutions AT, BG, CY, CZ, EE, HU, IE, LT, LU, NL, PL, PT, RO, SI 13 BE (BE-FL, BE-WA), DE, FR, IT (IT-AB, IT-BA, IT-ER, IT-LA, IT-LI, IT-LO, IT-MA, IT- 4,5 PI, IT-PU, IT-SI, IT-TO, IT-VE), (PT-AZ, PT-MA), UK (UK-NR, UK-SC, UK-WA) DE, DK, EL, FI, (IT-TO), LV, SE, SK 6 Paying Agency FI 0,5 Others CZ, RO 1 No coordination (IT-VA) 0 No answer (IT-BO, IT-CA, IT-FV, IT-SA, IT-TR) 0 * Approximate value DG AGRI - D.3 - Inge Van Oost - Schwäbisch Gmünd - 10/06/2009 7
Ministry National level Regional Authority Authority responsible MS / Regions TOT* Designated bodies by the Ministry or by Regional Authority / State Institutions Paying Agency Others AT, BG, CY, EE, EL, IE, LT, LU, NL, PL, PT, RO, SI, SK 13,5 BE (BE-FL, BE-WA), DE, FR, IT (IT-AB, IT-BA, IT-CA, IT-ER, IT-LA, IT-LI, IT-LO, IT- 4,5 PI, IT-PU, IT-SI, IT-TO, IT-TR, IT-VE), (PT-AZ, PT-MA), UK (UK-NI, UK-SC, UK-WA) DE, DK, HU, (IT-TO), LV, SE 4,5 EE, (IT-MA, IT-VE), FI 1,5 CZ 1 No coordination (IT-VA) 0 No answer (IT-BO, IT-FV, IT-SA) 0 * Approximate value DG AGRI - D.3 - Inge Van Oost - Schwäbisch Gmünd - 10/06/2009 8
Authorities responsible for FAS Summary per MS / Region (1) Ministry - National Level Regional Authority Designate d bodies Paying Agency Others Country Coordination Designation / Certification Control AT, IE, LT, NL, PL, PT Ministry of Agriculture BG NAAS State Institution Ministry of Agriculture CY CC Service Designated body Ministry of Agriculture CZ EE Ministry of Agriculture Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information Estonia advisory coordinating centre for agriculture and rural economy Ministry of Agriculture Ministry of Agriculture Paying agency EL Ministry of Agriculture OPEGEP Ministry of Agriculture HU National advisory service Ministry of Agriculture National advisory service LU Ministry of Agriculture LV Ministry of Agriculture Rural support service RO Ministry of Agriculture Ministry of Agriculture Ministry of Agriculture National Council for Adult Training DG AGRI - D.3 - Inge Van Oost - Schwäbisch Gmünd - 10/06/2009 9
Authorities responsible for FAS Summary per MS / Region (2) Ministry - National Level Regional Authority Designate d bodies Paying Agency Others Country Coordination Designation / Certification Control SI Chamber of Agriculture Ministry of Agriculture SK Agroinstitut Nitra Ministry of Agriculture BE, FR, PT- AZ, PT-MA, UK IT DE DK SE Regional Authority Regional Authority Regional Agency for agricultural development and innovation (IT-TO) Regional Authority Designated bodies Danish Food Industry Agency Swedish Board for Agriculture FI Advisors Finnish Agency for Rural Affairs Finnish Food Safety Authority Paying Agency (IT-MA) DG AGRI - D.3 - Inge Van Oost - Schwäbisch Gmünd - 10/06/2009 10
FAS: Health Check changes (Art. 12 of new R.73/2009) The management of the farm advisory system will be made easier: MSs can decide to which farmers they give priority. The 2010 report on the farm advisory system will not necessarily have a view to rendering it compulsory. 11
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FAS: main elements The FAS is to be operated by one or more designated authorities or by private bodies Community legislation left MSs the flexibility to choose public or private bodies as actors in the FAS 13
Advisor Helps farmer with advice FAS: responsabilities Farmer Responsible for his actions, has to understand the requirements Controller Controls can lead to sanctions The advisor has to play his role, explaining the requirements to the farmer and helping him to understand cross compliance. Advice and control must be separated, the farmer is responsible for his actions. 14
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FAS: main elements The advisory activity shall cover at least the SMRs and the GAEC (= including maintenance of permanent pasture) The field of the FAS - advice is the whole crosscompliance but it is not limited to these crosscompliance standards: MSs can decide to enlarge it to other standards 18
Cross compliance level for 1st and 2nd pillar Agri-environmental measure BASELINE No incentive, no reductions on direct and wine payments Agri-environmental ( commitment(s Other relevant mandatory (*) requirements Minimum requirements for fertiliser and plant (*) protection product use Cross compliance SMR & GAEC Positive incentive: AEM PAYMENT Additional costs and income foregone No incentive, no reductions on AE payments (*) as established by national legislation and identified in the RD programme 19
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Number of MS and Regions choosing the different methods to provide advice 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 19 21 1. One to one farm advice Methods used to provice advice to farmers 14 12 2. One to one outside the farm 14 17 3. Telephone helpdesk MS 10 11 4. Small group advice on the farm Regions 10 12 5. Small group advice outside the farm 13 14 6. Advice by way of internet 7 7 7. Advice via website tools 14 15 8. Publications DG AGRI - D.3 - Inge Van Oost - Schwäbisch Gmünd - 10/06/2009 28
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Support for FAS under the 2 nd pillar The FAS can be funded in two ways under Axis 1 of Rural Development Programmes in the period 2007-2013: Financing the use of farm advisory services by farmers Financing the setting up of farm advisory services by MSs 30
(1) Cofinancing of the use of fas by farmers (Art.24 of R. 1698/2005) As a minimum these advisory services to farmers must cover: (a) the SMRs and the GAECs provided for in Art. 4 and 5 of and in Annexes III and IV to R. (EC) No 1782/2003); (b) occupational safety standards based on Community legislation (not included into cross compliance). 31
(1) Cofinancing of the use of fas by farmers (Art.24 of R. 1698/2005) A Working document provides guidelines for the use of fas, concerning - possibility of prioritising certain target groups conditions to grant aid, - frequency of the advice, - the use of public or non-public advising bodies, - availability of appropriate resources (staff qualification, administrative and technical facilities, advisory experience and reliability), and - the selection and supervision of the bodies. 32
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Problems encountered during the organisation and management of the FAS (1) Problems encountered TOT Reduced importance of FAS because of already existing systems Reduced importance of a pure FAS because farmers request at the same time advice both on CC and on other business 2 MS Lack of funding High cost of FAS Dispersive regional budget High cost of advisers accreditation and training 4-3 MS, 1 Re 1 Re 1 Re 2 Re Difficulty in creating a common image and culture of FAS Lack of technical equipment Problem in the computer management system Insufficient administrative capacity Uncertainty about the consulting services and about the documentation and proof requirements Difficulty in the management, administration and designation of the advisory bodies Lack of coordination between all bodies operating FAS Lack of private organizations operating FAS 1 Re 1 Re 5 Re DG AGRI - D.3 - Inge Van Oost - Schwäbisch Gmünd - 10/06/2009 34
Problems encountered during the organisation and management of the FAS (2) Problems encountered Insufficient number of qualified advisory bodies and advisors Difficulty in advising because of wide range of fields / FAS too focused only on CC Incomprehension between Regional authority and professional order of agronomics TOT 3 -, 2 Re 2 -, 1 Re 3 Re Time costly Application and approval Advisory Implementation of FAS Problems related to farmers High level of complaints Monitoring impacts is difficult Reduced need for advice Low interest to participate High degree of geographical dispersion High cost of one-to-one advice for farmers 5-2 MS, 3 Re 2 Re The implementation of the FAS implied many changes in the policies at national level No problems encountered No answer 3-2 MS, 1 Re 21-9 MS, 12 Re DG AGRI - D.3 - Inge Van Oost - Schwäbisch Gmünd - 10/06/2009 35
Suggestions regarding the legislative framework of FAS at EU level (1) Suggestions TOT FAS should remain voluntary for farmers CC is not necessary in the next Regulation No necessity of a EU legislative framework, FAS already integrated in the existing national advisory system FAS should be voluntary for MS as there is no strong need of FAS Reduced CC control for farmers participating in the FAS (immunity) Obligatory participation to FAS for farmers violating SMR and GAEC The criteria to prioritise clients should be more flexible according to the need of MS More flexibility for MS to define priorities (not only based on amount of payment per year) Wider margin of actions for MS in implementing FAS Possibility for farmers to choose advisory according to own needs No equal consideration to all SMR and GAEC independently of the type of farm and location Need of focusing on specific SMR and GAEC according to the situations 8-5 MS, 3 Re 1 Re 2 MS 2 Re DG AGRI - D.3 - Inge Van Oost - Schwäbisch Gmünd - 10/06/2009 36
Suggestions regarding the legislative framework of FAS at EU level (2) Suggestions TOT CC and safety at work should not be compulsory Regulation at EU level for requirements of consultancy and certification of advisors More often advisory services Increased financial support Mandatory advance training for advisory bodies Community legislative framework in order to avoid incomprehension between Regional authority and professional order of agronomics Less bureaucratization of FAS Simplification of the regulatory framework No suggestions / No answer 1 Re 1 Re 1 Re 1 Re 1 Re 1 Re 25-8 MS, 17 Re DG AGRI - D.3 - Inge Van Oost - Schwäbisch Gmünd - 10/06/2009 37
FAS: Perspective By 31 December 2010, the Commission shall submit a report to the Council on the application of the farm advisory system, accompanied, if necessary, by appropriate proposals. (R.73) 38
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION Inge Van Oost EC - DG Agriculture and Rural Development Unit D.3 Cross Compliance Inge.Van-Oost@ec.europa.eu Please take care with the figures presented as they are only preliminary and need to be further assessed and completed. We invite MS to contact us in case they detect elements in these first results which would need to be completed or corrected : Agri-cross-compliance@ec.europa.eu DG AGRI - D.3 - Inge Van Oost - Schwäbisch Gmünd - 10/06/2009 39