DR(16)9981:1 Biophysical ANC criteria to define natural constraints Methodological guidelines COPA-COGECA workshop Implementation of measure on Areas facing Natural and other Specific Constraints JM Terres, A Hagyo EC-DG JRC 18 Nov 2016
Content DG JRC Background and Context Biophysical criteria Combining criteria Guidelines document
The JRC inside the European Commission JRC is not DG RTD, nor part of it Only Commission Directorate General carrying out direct research 7 institutes in 5 countries 3
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) the Commission's in-house science service Provides EU policies with independent, evidence-based scientific and technical support throughout the whole policy cycle. Works in support of other Commission services, EU Institutions, and Member States, in close cooperation with industry, universities, and research organisations in the EU and worldwide. Is independent of industrial and national interests, has access to confidential information, and provides on-tap fast and flexible response.
Background From LFA to ANC: Why a new delimitation 2003: Critical report Court of Auditors concerning intermediate LFA (mountain areas and areas with specific constraints not concerned): More than 140 national criteria (not comparable, not transparent) Poor targeting: under LFA delimitation, only half of the delimitated area receives some payment Under current delimitation, wide discrepancies among MS Both LFA under previous programming periods 5
Background From LFA to ANC: LFA in previous regulation A popular and sensitive measure for MS Easy to distribute / Easy to receive Appreciated by MEPs, farmers unions, MS administration LFA - Mountain LFA - Intermediate LFA - Specific Programing period 2007-2013 LFA total 55% EU UAA Beneficiaries 14% EU farms (poor targeting) 14% RD budget 32% of Axis2 budget Support : 25 to 200 /ha 6
Background Less Favoured Areas Areas Natural Constraints Evolving policy objectives Strategic Approach CAP Reform decoupling SPS Within Axis 2: improving the environment and land management New delineation in EU 1305/2013 Art.32.b/c 1975-1999 2000-2006 2007-2013 2014-2020 Continuation of farming Continued use of agricultural land Continued use of agricultural land Continued use of agricultural land Maintain minimum population Maintain viable rural community Conserve countryside Maintain countryside Maintain / promote sustainable farming systems Maintain countryside Maintain /promote sustainable farming systems Maintain countryside Maintain /promote sustainable farming systems 7
Background Timeframe from LFA to ANC 2003: Critical report Court of Auditors concerning intermediate LFA 2005: New Rural development regulation agreement that the socio-economic dimension is no longer among the objectives as there are other measures which target these issues better no agreement on methodology (Commission Non Paper) Mandate by the Council 2009 Commission Communication outlining 8 biophysical criteria 2009 Council WP: MS committed to test criteria with their own data 2010 2011 simulations by MS, intense information exchanges with MS to apply the criteria 2011 Commission s legislative proposal with 8 biophysical criteria 2013 Adoption of regulation 1305/2013 (Art 32, annex III) 2014-2017 implementation in the MS Scientific and technical development of the methodology: 1 year Technical implementation / calculation of criteria / mapping: 3-6 months Political time: 8 years (2010 2017) 8
Biophysical criteria From LFA to ANC: New regulation (EU) 1305/2013 Aims of Areas facing Natural or other specific Constraints (ANC): Art 31: To compensate farmers for the additional costs and income foregone related to the constraints for agricultural production in the area Art 32: Designation of areas 1. Mountain areas text identical to Art 50 of R 1698/2005 2. Areas facing significant natural constraints new delimitation Based on common 8 biophysical criteria with fixed thresholds (Annex III) Constraint(s) on at least 60% of agricultural area in administrative unit Fine-tuning for areas where constraint has been overcome 3. Areas affected by specific constraints idem + some changes Combination of Annex III criteria (within margin 20% of initial threshold) Constraint(s) on at least 60% of agricultural area in administrative unit 9
Biophysical criteria Designation of Areas based on bio-physical criteria e.g. ANC Based on definition for intermediate LFAs : Article 50 of Regulation (EC) 1698/2005 Areas affected by significant natural handicaps, notably a low soil productivity or poor climate conditions and where maintaining extensive farming activity is important for the management of the land A common framework with 8 bio-physical criteria Climate Climate and soil Bio-physical criteria Low Temperature Too dry Excess soil moisture Severe impact on agriculture Short length of growing period Crop development and production cycle incomplete = reduced production Precipitation much below evapotranspiration Water stress and adverse effect on yield Water saturated soil Tillage operations not possible Grazing period reduced Soil Limited soil drainage Unfavourable texture & stoniness Shallow rooting depth Poor chemical properties Lack of oxygen in root zone, reduced roots metabolism and mineralization process Crop productivity reduced Increase soil-borne pathogens Texture controls soil structure, water and nutrient supply, workability Prevent rooting system to develop Difficult workability Limited storage for water and nutrients Reduced water available to plant Reduced nutrient availability, toxicity Prone to waterlogging (sodicity) Terrain Steep slope Limited crop opportunities Increase management cost 10
Biophysical criteria Rationale for the methodology The classification relates to areas with low productivity soil and poor climate conditions, and where maintaining extensive farming activity is important for the management of the land (avoiding land abandonment) Criteria have to apply to agricultural activity in general, not to specific production / crops Criteria have to be adapted for whole EU28, not for specific local situations Criteria must be clear, robust, easily understandable - to enable translation into regulation 11
Biophysical criteria Method development JRC MARS: Extended experience in Crop modelling, Land quality evaluation, agro-meteorological zoning Extensive review of scientific literature Consultation with international organisations, national research institutes and universities: FAO, IIASA, INRA, KUL, ITC Panel of top European experts in the field of land quality assessments, soil, climate, environment, agriculture. Several ad-hoc meetings at JRC Many technical meetings with experts and administration from MS where biophysical criteria have been tested in ALL MS with real data (before the legal proposal), scrutinized by MS experts 12
Biophysical criteria Criteria Factsheets - Art 32.3 CRITERION DEFINITION THRESHOLD CLIMATE Low Temperature Length of Growing Period (number of days) (LGP t5 ) OR Thermal-time sum (degree-days) for Growing Period 180 days 1500 degree-days Dryness Ratio of the annual precipitation (P) to annuall (PET) P/PET 0.5 CLIMATE AND SOIL Excess Soil Moisture Number of days at or above Field capacity 230 days SOIL Limited Soil Drainage Unfavourable Texture and Stoniness* Areas which are water logged for significant duration of the year Relative abundance of clay, silt, sand, organic matter (weight %) and coarse material (volumetric %) fractions Wet within 80cm for over 6 months OR Poorly or very poorly drained soil OR Gleyic colour pattern within 40cm 15% of topsoil is coarse material, OR Texture class is sand, loamy sand OR Topsoil is heavy clay ( 60% clay) OR Organic soil (organic matter 30%) OR Topsoil contains 30% clay vertic properties Shallow Rooting Depth Depth (cm) from soil surface to coherent hard rock / hard pan 30cm Poor Chemical Properties Presence of salts, exchangeable sodium, excessive acidity Salinity: 4 (ds/m) OR Sodicity: 6 (ESP) OR Soil Acidity: ph 5 (in water) TERRAIN Steep Slope Change of elevation with respect to planimetric distance (%). 15% 13
Biophysical criteria A Common framework covering EU28 Bio-physical criteria covers the whole range of agro-meteorological conditions in EU28: Northern and north-western MS: mainly climate criteria Southern MS: Dryness, some soil features and terrain Mid-latitude and central Europe MS: soil criteria and terrain High simplification potential: 1 single criterion can trigger delimitation, areal aggregation of criteria possible The biophysical criteria: a transparent and comparable delineation across all Member States a common framework: definitions and thresholds are identical for EU28 Subsidiarity left to MS to calculate the criteria with own (national, regional, local) data 14
Criteria combination Art 32.4: Combining criteria Methodological document Explore options within the legal framework to sensibly combine biophysical criteria Provide guidance and recommendations Propose credible sub-severe thresholds for combinations (within the margin of 20% of the initial value) which could still trigger a limitation to agricultural activity Provide factsheets for plausible combination Reference for consistent assessment 15
Guidelines Updated guidelines document To guide MS on ANC delineation process for best use of their capacities and data characteristics Used as reference to ensure consistent assessment no single answer fits all, not a detailed description on steps / procedures not legally binding but recommendations - to be adapted by MS draws on feedback from experts, meetings with MS and JRC in-house experience living document : takes into account situations encountered in MS, technically discussed with Commission s services
Guidelines Information, documentation Meteorological datasets, characteristics, calculation, also interpolation method + validation) Soil datasets characteristics, classification system, applied methodology, validation when necessary Terrain dataset characteristics, applied methodology Agricultural area (EU reg. 1305/2013 Art 2 EU reg. 1307/2013 Art 4 Maximum Eligible Area defined at reference parcel level, as in Art. 5(2)(b) of R640/2014) Description aggregation method Intermediate and final results: maps and tables by criterion map and table aggregated results list of administrative units
Guidelines Aggregation procedure: diagnostic administrative unit Art 32.3 Criteria A Criteria B Agricultural area Non agriculture Agricultural area constrained One criterion can qualifies an area to be constrained Overlap to be counted only once Minimum 60% of agricultural area of administrative unit must be constrained to qualify for ANC Agricultural area to consider Spatial analysis necessary (with GIS)
Fine-tuning: to better target the delineation Irrigation in dry areas Poor soil but high profitability Aim: to exclude from the ANC delineation areas where the handicap has been overcome (e.g. irrigation in dry areas, drainage system for soils prone to excessive moisture) or where economic return is sufficient to ensure no risk of land abandonment. Flexibility and subsidiariry for MS 19
Guiding documents produced by JRC https://marswiki.jrc.ec.europa.eu/wikicap/index.php/designation_of_areas_facing_natural_and_other_specific_constraints_(ancs)
Thank you for your attention