Fundatia ADEPT Transilvania

Learning from across Europe: HNV in Romania

Torino, 5 november 2013, Răzvan Popa

• Agricultural area 14.7 m ha of which 9.6 m ha eligible (5m ineligible owing to rocks/trees or to , less 1ha holding size)

Romania general situation

Farm sizes:

• 72% of Romania’s 3.9 million holdings are under 1 ha in area,

35% of Romania’s UAA. Not eligible unless applied for

in group applications.

• 9% of holdings are 1- 5 ha in size, 5% of UAA

• 18% of farms are 5-50 ha in size, accounting for 20% of UAA.

• 2% of holdings >50 ha in size, 40% of UAA.

FERME % din RO % din SAPS

ferme suprafață ferme suprafață

eligibile SAPS

Subzistență și semisubzistență (1-10 ha) 23,87% 20,38% 93,20% 31,20%

"familiale" (10-100 ha) 1,46% 10,80% 5,70% 16,54%

"comerciale" (>100 ha) 0,28% 34,13% 1,11% 52,26%

neeligibile SAPS "neviabile" (<1 ha) 74,39% 34,69% - -

Romania general situation

• Thus 40% of UAA is in

holdings under 5ha, and

40% over 50ha – highly

polarised

• 35% of UAA ineligible

owing to small holding size

or trees / rocks

• Areas important for

Habitats and Birds

Directives habitats and

species are strongly

associated with smaller

holding sizes in hilly and

mountain areas

Approximate HNV grassland distribution in

Romania (Corine): about 5m ha

Millions of hectares of grassland habitats and associated

species protected at European levels

…extensive grazing on permanent grasslands

…. and areas of mosaic landscape with wildflower-rich haymeadows, trees and scrub offering biodiversity

connectivity and refuges

Threatened by

• Abandonment

• Intensification especially overgrazing

No Natura 2000 payments in Romania – what are the

consequences?

Introduced in 2007

•214/1. High Nature Value Grassland

•214/2. Traditional farming – non-mechanised additional package to

214/1

•214/3. Grassland supporting important birds

•214/4. Green cover crops

Introduced in 2011

•214/5. Organic agriculture

Introduced in 2012

•Extension of 214/1, new measures 214/6 Maculinea (Fundatia ADEPT

in cooperation with MARD)

•214/7 Red-Breasted Goose (BirdLife partner SOR in cooperation with

MARD)

How should we protect this biodiversity values?

Romania a-e payments?

How were Measures 214/1 and 214/2 HNV

grassland payments targeted?

How were Measures 214/1 and 214/2 HNV grassland payments targeted?

HNV area based on communes with more than 50% permanent grassland – rough but effective!

Rețeaua Natura 2000 și HNV în România

How much of Romania’s HNV farmland is covered

by N2000 sites?

P1 & P2

Very simple rules that are effective in the protection of

many HD and WBD habitats and species. Thus helping to

achieve the aims of N2000, within and outside designated

sites.

214/1. High Nature Value Grassland, Euros 124/ha

•Annual mowing or grazing obligatory. Mowing only after 1

July.

•Limited stocking rates (max 1L.U. per ha)

•Limited fertilisers, no artificial fertilisers

•Scrub clearance strictly checked (not known control

procedures by farmers, farm register etc)

214/2. Traditional management. Additional Euros 58/ha

•No machinery allowed (grazing or hand-mowing)

Romania a-e payments (Measure 214)

ADEPT Farm Advisory Service has shown value of local extension

services. 7 x nr. of farmers and 5 x the area in agri-environment schemes

compared to neighbouring areas without Farm Advisory Service .

Comparative take-up of agri-environment in communes in which ADEPT was

active, compared to other communes in Mures county, 2009 (official data)

Improving farmer participation in a-e payments Role of farm advisory services: a-e payments too complex for small farmers

Benefits: keeping farmers on the land

• These shepherds get €124 /ha basic grassland a-e

payments + €58 ha non-mechanisation + €100+/ha

direct payments = total €282 per ha per year

• They are not changing their behaviour. But without a-e

payments they would not continue. Multiple

biodiversity and other ecosystem service benefits

Measure 214 also supports community grazing A-e payments, when used by common grazing associations, are reversing the decline in cattle numbers. Calva: 40 farmers, 1,000 ha, 250,000€/year, being invested in communitry projects This is important for maintaining hay meadow management: common grazing helps small herd owners. Each farmer with 2-3 cows mows at different times creating an ideal mosaic for biodiversity.

Scrub clearance

is strictly enforced

under measure

214

But the rough-and-ready criterion for HNV grassland in Romania left some gaps.

Some HNV mapped by Corine is not included by the current rule of thumb, more than 50% grassland per commune

Imaginative cooperation between NGOs and Ministry has allowed some of these gaps to be filled

Additional measure from 2012:

Protecting traditional grazed orchards ADEPT, Romanian Lepidopterological Society and MARD

Additional 195.000 ha of extensive orchards are now eligible, from 2012, for

grassland payments throughout HNV area, under modified Measure 214/1

Euros 9m per years

additional incentive

payments.

Very important for

the survival of

biodiversity-rich

traditional grazed

orchards

New measure 214/6 Maculinea package • Using butterflies as umbrella species for damp grassland

conservation outside designated HNV area

• Additional 26 communes in Cluj and Bucovina eligible although

outside “HNV” area

• walk-behind mowers permitted, innovative

• Of the 2.5m ha eligible ha for HNV grassland payments in

Romania, 50% (1.2m ha) is under grassland a-e payments

(124+58+SAPS Euros/ha), 230,000 farmers.

• Romania have exceeded a-e funding budget by end of the

period (i.e including all agreements entered into by 2013)

• App. 700mil added Axis 2 (230mil Measure 214) – planned

5% total NRDP 2014

A-e is Romanian RDP’s most successful measure in terms of

participation, and use of budget (performance indicators –

How about additional indicators??)

• How did it achieve this?

• Has it been effective for Natura 2000?

Romania’s use of agri-environment schemes

Axis 2

26,46% of all EAFRD financial allocation

Measures of Axis 2

- Measures 211 and 212 – Payments to areas facing

natural or other specific constraints

- Measure 214 – Agro-environment payments

- Measure 215 – Animal welfare

- Measure 221 – First afforestation of agricultural land

Experiences from 2007-2013

implementation of NRDP

Measures 211 and 212

Payments to areas facing natural or other specific constraints

Experiences from 2007-2013

implementation of NRDP

End of 2012

211 Rate of NRDP realization

- 76,3% (320k/420k holdings);

- 70,9% (1.785k/2.520k ha);

- 67,2% (408mil./607mil. euro);

212 Rate of NRDP realization

- 42,3% (127k/299k holdings);

- 89,4% (1.605k/1.795k ha);

- 42,9% (211mil./493mil. euro);

Measures 214

Agro-environment payments

Experiences from 2007-2013

implementation of NRDP

Package 1: High Nature Value

Grassland

Obj.: To maintain high nature value

grassland

1.191.589 ha/2012

Package 2: Traditional farming

Obj.: To maintain wildlife by applying

traditional farming practices

943.310 ha/2012

Pilot Package 3: Grassland supporting

important birds

Obj.: To ensure an adequate

management of grasslands having

importance for bird conservation

5.785 ha/2012 – Crex crex

28.446 ha/2012 – Lanius minor and

Falco Vespertinus

Measures 214

Agro-environment payments

Experiences from 2007-2013

implementation of NRDP

Package 4 Green Cover Crops

Obj.: To ensure water and soil protection

151.677 ha/2012

Package 5: Organic farming

Obj.: Protecting natural resources by

sustaining organic farming

Package 6: Grassland important for

butterflies (Maculinea sp.)

Obj.: To ensure an adequate

management of grasslands for butterflies

conservation

2.042 ha/2012

Package 7: Arable land important for

Branta Ruficollis as feeding area

Obj.: To ensure an adequate

management of arable land as feeding

area for Branta Ruficollis

48.041 ha/2012

Success??

of a-e in Romania

• Simple design – may be some gaps resulting from simple

definitions e.g. of HNV, but these are compensated for by the

high uptake resulting from the simplicity

• Simple application process – a page in the IACS that needs

boxes ticked, and a signature

• Ministry has normal relationship with practical NGOs who know

what the Ministry needs for new measures (good justification,

clear criteria, clear monitoring)

•Attractive payment levels

The future CAP 2014-2020 RO • Key: keep the farmers on the land, and maintain small-scale farming and community

communities as much as possible

• N2000 payments are just one of the support measures that need to be used to achieve this.

We need to provide integrated, innovative approaches to landscape-scale conservation,

bringing together a range of support payments and technical assistance. Use N2000 site

management plans?

• Design regional schemes – or schemes under individual management plans – to ensure

schemes suit local conditions. Use N2000 site management plans?

• Use group agreements to achieve scale, and to include land that is otherwise excluded as

under 1ha (Art.36)

• local partnerships including NGO farm advisory services in order to promote uptake of

schemes (ROPAC, CATAR, Natura 2000 Coalition, Univerties etc/regional – PEI)

• Maintain Rural Development Programme budget which supports local economy. The

greener Rural Development pillar where numerous public goods can be achieved was cut by

13,2% while the Pillar 1 was increased by 2,6%

• Maintain biodiversity-friendly landscape elements in agricultural land, 61% of farmland

in Romania does not fall under the Pillar 1 greening obligation to provide ecological

landscape features (Ecological Focus Areas)

• Maintain sustainable arable systems with crop diversification, 44% of arable land in

Romania does not have to carry out obligatory crop diversification in exchange of direct

payments

• Clear definition for small-farmer (Family Farm) in RO

The future CAP 2014-2020 RO Pillar 1

1. Remove nitrogen-fixing crops from Ecological Focus Areas: crops such as lucerne do not

meet EFA biodiversity objectives. (Art. 32 of DP regulation.)

2. Increase GAEC 4 to include all cultures of weeded crops including maize etc, sunflower, to

prevent soil degradation, pesticide pollution, etc..

3. Support maintenance of biodiversity-important landscape features such as scrub, trees

and small ponds, etc. through Pillar 1 (by being included in eligible areas, see HZR Art

77.2.c.), and Pillar 2 payments (through agri-environment measures).

4. Transfer funds from Pillar 1 to Pillar 2 in order to increase Rural Development Programme

payments, which are very important for rural economic vitality, biodiversity, water quality and soil

quality. (Art. 14 of DP regulation.)

5. Offer higher payment per hectare for the first 20 ha of Direct Payments, to give extra help for

smaller-scale farms to invest in modernisation and growth. (Art. 28g of DP regulation)

6. Use the small farmer scheme to allow simplified payments for the smallest farms, up to a

limit of 3 ha approximately (depending on calculations of budget use), in order to simplify both

applications and controls. (Art. 47 of draft DP regulation.)

7. Ensure support of Active farmers, avoid funding of non-active farmers. (DP regulation Art.

9.) This could be encouraged by ruling that farms over 30 ha be registered as legal persons.

8. Ensure protection of HNV grasslands at farm level, by recognising them as environmentally

important grassland. ( (DP regulation Art. 31.1.)

Pillar 2

1. Ensure Rural Development Programme contains only truly sustainable and detailed measures,

so meeting Rural Development priorities 4 and 5 (environment related)

2. Ensure an increase of funding for high quality environmental measures, such as agri-environment-climate, forest-environment and Natura 2000 measures, and that the 30% mandatory minimum on agri-environment-climate will not be affected by the increased requirements for payments for Areas of Natural Constraint. (RD Recital para. 28.)

3. Ensure that agri-environment measures are based on experience from previous period and new data available, including altitude/mowing dates, pasture/meadow distinction, stocking rates for grassland types.

4. Offer Natura 2000 payments in order to contribute to RD Priority 4. (Art. 9 (c) (iv) and Art.31 of draft RD regulation.)

5. Offer funding for quality schemes in order to contribute to Priority 3. (Art. 17 of draft RDP regulation.)

6. Offer the Cooperation Measure, a measure of key importance for Romania to promote associations between smaller farmers, so increasing competitiveness, helping to meet RD Priority 3. (Art. 36 of draft DP regulation.)

7. Agrobiodiversity Measure for plants and animals / local breeds

The future CAP 2014-2020 RO

Multumesc pentru atentie!

Thank you for attention!

Fundatia ADEPT Transilvania

www.fundatia-adept.org

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