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PLANNING
(a) Specialist agri-environment plan (Rural Priorities)
Objectives of the measure
To encourage beneficiaries to deliver priority outcomes through agri-environmental rural development funding by providing financial support to prepare and implement specialist plans that identify, map and retain the listed environmental features, recording management information and practices which will be undertaken throughout each year of the agreement.
Scope and actions
Support will be available to potential beneficiaries who develop and implement specialist plans which require input from an adviser or a consultant in order to deliver the desired outcomes in support of an application for agri-environmental rural development funding. The independent adviser will make a detailed appraisal of the environmental value of the land by identifying features on a field by field basis, suggesting appropriate management options. Applicants will have to be able to provide evidence that the concrete agri-environment commitments set out in the plan have been completed. Non-compliance with the plan will result in the application of reductions and penalties.
Description and justification of the different types of commitments, based on their expected environmental impact in relation to environmental needs and priorities
Preparation of a specialist plan (excluding the costs of drafting basic business information) which requires the applicant to seek expert advice from a specialist advisor to ensure delivery of the proposed outcomes in an application for agri-environmental rural development funding.
Details on coverage of support
The decision on whether funding will be made available for a specialist plan will lie with the Scottish Executive. Funding will only be available where potential beneficiaries are advised after the initial scoping stage that the proposed application is aligned with priorities set by the appropriate Regional Project Assessment Committee or in accordance with other national priorities and obligations. Support for the plan will only be available in conjunction with delivery of the concrete agri-environment commitments in that plan.
Agri-environment Baseline
The plan facilitates the selection and execution of concrete agri-environment commitments for positive management beyond the baseline.
Amounts of support
€1.5 per hectare per annum for first 150 hectares and €0.3 per hectare per annum for the next 100 hectares, up to a maximum of €1,275 per plan over 5 years.
There is a minimum support level of €225 per plan over 5 years. The support will in each case be restricted to a maximum of 20% of the income foregone and additional cost incurred due to the commitment given.
Funding will only be available to beneficiaries who will have at least 1 hectare under agri-environment management to ensure the hectarage ceiling is not breached.
Hectarage limits apply.
Quantified targets for EU common indicators
Measure Code 214: Agri-environment payments |
|---|
Indicator Type | Indicator | Indicative Target |
|---|
Baseline (Lead Indicators) | | Baseline value |
Objective 17 | - Biodiversity: index of population of farmland birds
| 99 |
Objective 18 | - Biodiversity: high nature value farmland and forestry[hectares of land under farmland, woodland, urban, other]
| 69,100 ha of woodland;
751,700 ha of farmland;
21,900 ha is developed;
308,200 is other |
Objective 20$ | - Water quality [% of groundwater sites over 50 mg/L]
| 17.8% |
Objective 24^ | - Climate change:[area under renewable energy from agriculture; emissions from agriculture]
| 9,600 hectares;
7.275 Mt of CO2 equivalent |
Objective ,23~ | - Soil : organic farming [Area under organic farming]
| 270,800 hectares |
Input | - Amount of public expenditure (total)
| m |
Output | - Number of farm holdings and holdings of other land managers receiving support (division according to the beneficiary and the age of the commitment)
| 4,500 holdings |
- Total area under agri-environmental support (division according to the beneficiaries, the age and type of the commitment)
| 2,000,000 hectares |
- Total number of contracts (division according to the beneficiaries, the age and type of the commitment)
| 6,500 commitments |
- Physical area under agri-environmental support (under this measure)
| 20,000 hectares, |
- Number of actions related to genetic resources (division according to the type of action -targeted or concerted actions )
| N/A |
Result | - Areas under successful land management contributing to:
| 100,000 hectares |
- improvement of biodiversity
|
- improvement of water quality
|
- mitigating climate change
|
- improvement of soil quality
|
- avoidance of marginalization and land abandonment
|
Additional Result | - Use of pesticides and fertilisers
| Target to be confirmed once indicator finalised. |
Impact # | - Reversal in biodiversity decline
| Improve. |
- Maintenance of High Nature Value farmland and forestry
| Maintain. |
- Improvement in water quality
| Improve. |
- Contribution to combating climatic change
| Contribute. |
Additional Impact | - Bringing the special features of designated nature conservation sites, including all the Natura Network, into favourable condition
| 80% by 2008 95% by 2010 |
- Safeguarding the sensitive aspects of landscape character.
| Target to be confirmed once indicator finalised |
Additional evaluation question | - To what extent have farmer attitudes to agri-environment measures changed?
| N/A |
$ Non-lead indicator on water quality (objective 21 pollution by nitrates and pesticides) will be proxied by % of water body length that is of good status for phosphates and is under development
^ Non-lead indicator. Area under energy crops (objective indicator 25) and tonnes of CO2 equivalent (objective indicator 26) used as proxies for baseline objective indicator 24
N/A = Not applicable for this measure
~ Non-lead indicator (objective 23). Non-lead indicator on areas at risk of soil erosion under development. (objective 22)
# All impact indicators will be estimated based on output and result indicators. Quantitative data will be supplemented by qualitative judgement on change. Biodiversity: As measured by farmland bird species population, complemented by additional data on other species. High nature value farmland: Indicator is not developed. The alternative indicator to be used is hectares of land cover under farmland, woodland, urban, other. Water Quality: Gross nutrient balances will be measured at a sample of farms. Supplemented by information on nitrates and phosphates. Climate change: Increases in production of renewable energy will be supplemented where appropriate with information on net carbon savings.
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