Financial incentives to facilitate enforcement

Véronique Schmit

Enforcement of European Animal Welfare Related Legislation – 12 &13 June 2012

The Common Agricultural Policy

2 types of subsidies

• Direct payments: to compensate farmers for low income; 100% EU funds

• Rural development support: to help farmers engage in specific activities; co-funded – generally 50% EU & 50 % national funds

Incentives for enforcement under direct payments

2 mechanisms:• Cross-compliance:

- For all direct support

- For specific RD support: agri- environment, animal welfare payment

• Special support under Article 68:

- for enhanced animal welfare

Cross-compliance

• Respect of 3 animal welfare directives as a condition to receive CAP subsidies:

- General farm directive

- Pigs Directive

- Calves Directive

• Subsidies can be retained/reduced

• Negligence; minor non-compliance

Cross-compliance: reductions in case of negligence

• Non-compliance resulting from the negligence of the farmer: reduction of 3 % of the total amount – but paying agency can decide it to be 1%, 5% or 0%

• Farmers must remedy to the situation within a given deadline set by the Competent authority. At the latest by end of following year.

• If repeated non-compliance due to negligence, then reduction must be applied

Cross-compliance inspection results

UK (England)• Welfare of calves: 17 failures found in 2011Ex: insufficient or no bedding

• Welfare of pigs: 15 failures found in 2011Ex: No permanent access to clean drinking water; No clean, comfortable lying area

• General farm animal welfare: 120 failures found in 2011Ex: sick animals did not receive adequate care; inappropriate feeding; staff with no proper skills

Incentives for enforcementunder rural development

Axis 1 measures:

• Meeting standards

• Modernisation of agricultural holdings

• Vocational training

• Participation in food quality schemes

• Use of advisory services

Axis 2:

• Animal welfare payments

Additional incentives: State aid

• At national level • Approved by the European Commission• Following the rules of rural development support

Ex: Laying hens: France, Bulgaria

Sow stalls: France

Conditions:

Max 40% of investment cost

Period of grace of 36 months may be provided

CAP reform proposals

• Cross-compliance: status-quo and exemption for small farmers scheme

• Rural development: no measure

“Meeting standards”; animal welfare payments not compulsory

• Investments under RD do not cover adaptation to meet standards

Eurogroup demands

• Cross-compliance : – Requirements to include all animal welfare directives:

laying hens, meat chickens

– No exemption for small farmers scheme

– Data obtained from the application of cross-compliance to be used to improve enforcement

• Rural development: – animal welfare payments to be compulsory

– All measures to be used to improve animal welfare and thus enforcement with current rules

Thank you

For more information:

v.schmit@eurogroupforanimals.org

Financial incentives to facilitate enforcement

Enforcement of European Animal Welfare Related Legislation – 12 &13 June 2012