Transcript Overview of Forestry Measures in Rural Development J. Van de Velde EC – DG Environment B1 07/11/2015 DG Environment — Unit B1 Agriculture, Forests and Soil.

Overview of Forestry Measures
in Rural Development
J. Van de Velde
EC – DG Environment B1
07/11/2015
DG Environment — Unit B1 Agriculture,
Forests and Soil
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1992-99 : Forestry Regulation N° 2080/92
OBJECTIVES
• To accompany the changes linked to the 1992 CAP
reforms (Mc Sharry / set-aside) by offering forestry
as an alternative to agricultural production
•To contribute to an improvement in forest resources
of the EU (forest products deficiency in 12 MS)
• To contribute to forms of countryside management
more compatible with environmental requirements
• To counter greenhouse effect and sequester CO²
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Forestry Regulation N° 2080/92
MAIN PRINCIPLES :

“Modulation” of the aid (broadleaves, conifers, fast
growing trees) as integral part of scheme

Introduction of a maintenance premium over the first
5 years (according to the type of plantation )

Opening the aid to a wider range of beneficiaries, but
compensation to farmers most important in budget

Significant increase in the budget available and
eligible actions compared to previous schemes
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Forestry Regulation N° 2080/92
Total cost for the EAGGF : 1 519 Mio €
(1992-1999)
Breakdown by species classes :
Medium and long term broadleaves
56.8 %
562 142 ha
Medium and long term conifers
32.1 %
317 467 ha
Mixed plantations (broadleaves & con.) 7.1 %
70 175 ha
Fast growing trees (Euc./Pop./Pinus)
39 464 ha
Total planting 1992-99
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4.0 %
approx. 1.000.000 ha
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Forestry Regulation N° 2080/92
Afforestation by EU Member States (1993 -1999)
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2000-2006 : Rural Dev. Reg. 1257/99

:
Creation of separate schemes for direct support
(« pillar I ») and rural development (« pillar II »)
Principles of Rural Development policy :
Agenda 2000



- Multifunctional agriculture and forestry
- Multisectoral and integrated approach to rural
economy
- SUBSIDIARITY : MS to draw up own RD programmes
RD = Most important vehicle for implementing EU
Forestry Strategy (98) , new RDR with complete
chapter (VIII) on Forestry measures
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.
EU Common Agricultural Policy
(Including the 2003 reform in yellow)
CAP
Rural Development (2. pillar)
Common Market Organisations (1. pillar)
Forestry
Early Retirement
Agri-environment
Less fav. areas
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Training
Decoupling:
Single farm
payment
Cross compliance
applies
Investments
Sugar
Milk
RD Plans at national and
regional level
Indirect support remains
New standards
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Poultry
(payments to farmers)
Pig
Direct support
(intervention, export
subsidies, import duties)
Fruit and veg.
Indirect support
Modulation
9 + 2 measures
Farm advisory system
7
RD Regulation N° 1257/99
Chapter VIII : Possibilities for forestry support :

art. 30 : investments in forestry activities, support for
SFM and planting of non-agro land
 MS decide 40-50 % co-financing of real costs

art. 31 : plantings on agricultural land



planting costs 100 % supported
maintenance premium/ ha during 5 yrs.
compensation of income during 20 yrs (725 €/ha -185 €/ha)
(public owners only planting costs)

art. 32 : ecological functions & firebreaks
condition for support : costs > income
 MS fix payments 40-120 € /ha , based on real costs
No detailed technical conditions but more general principles set the rules

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EAGGF Guarantee & Guidance expenditure by RD
measures 2000-2006 (in % and million EUR)
9%
Investments in farms
1824
4 682
4%
344
3% 1 423
26%
1%
Young farmers
Training
12 649
Early retirement
6 128
12%
LFA
Agri-environment
4 807
10%
Processing & marketing
3 760
13 480
Forestry
8%
27%
Adaptation of rural areas
Total € 49 billion
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RD Regulation N° 1257/99 :
uptake of forestry measures in EU 15
Chapter VIII-Forestry measures - EU contribution (EAGGFguarantee + guidance) in Mio € - Total / afforestation
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
AT BE DE DK GR ES FI FR IR IT
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L NL PO SE UK
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2007-2013 : Rural Dev. Reg. 1698/2005
”Agenda 2007”
Rural
Development
2007-2013
Combined Programming for all sectors
Axis 1
Competitiveness
(>15%)
Axis 2
Environment
+ Land
Management
Axis 3
Diversif.
Quality of
Life
(>25%)
(>15%)
Axis 4
« Leader »
Single set of programming, financing, monitoring, auditing rules
Single Rural Development Fund
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RD Regulation 1698/2005
What’s new :
 Simplification > only 1 fund : EAFRD
 Three priority axes : competitiveness
land management
diversification
(+ axis 4 = LEADER small projects scheme)





Consultation & partnership approach (6)
Wider use of advisory services & more training
Community Strategy > National strategy
Designation of areas for measures by MS (50)
Agriculture & Forestry completely in parallel sets
of measures ( no more links required )
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Justification of Forestry measures
Treaty basis has changed over time :

Originally the basis was a strong link to CAP :
> farm landscape structure / farmers as
preferential beneficiaries in 2080/92 & 1257/99 )

With new RDR 1698/2005, no more formal link
to agriculture exists > ENV as Treaty basis

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See considerants of new RDR
Argument to defend environmental added value
when negociating with MS
Compare to new State Aid rules
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AXIS 1 & 3
AXIS 1: COMPETITIVENESS (20)
- vocational training (21)
- setting up young farmers (22)
- early retirement (23)
- use of advisory services (24)
- setting up advisory services
(25)
- farm modernisation (26)
- improving economic value of
forests (27)
- adding value to products
-co-operation (28)
- developing new products (29)
- infrastructure support (30)
AXIS 3: QUALITY OF LIFE/RURAL
ECONOMY (52)
- diversification into non-ag
activities
- micro-enterprises
- tourism activities
- basic services for economy
- village renewal
- conservation & rural heritage
- training
- skills acquisition & animation
- > some forest specific measures
- > mainly agro-specific measures
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AXIS 2 : land management (36)

Agricultural land (36a)

afforestation on agr.
Land (43)

 Agroforestry (44)

 afforestation on non
agri-land (45)

 Natura 2000 (46)

( but no WFD ! )

 forest environment (47)
 restoring forestry
potential (48)
> Agro & For. are now “at par”
 non-productive
investments (49)
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
support for mountain
areas (i)
LFA support (ii)
Natura 2000 & Water
FD payments (iii)
agri-environment (iv)
animal welfare (v)
non-productive
investments (41)
Forest land (36b i-vii)

Forests and Soil
What’s new for forestry ?


New
 Establishment support for agro-forestry (axis 2)
 creation and development of micro-enterprises
(axis 1
Changed
 afforestation restricted to ‘first’ afforestation
 broadened support measures for maintaining and
improving environment to focus on Natura 2000
and forest environment payments
 No more support for the establishment of
associations
 Reduction in support rate for afforestation costs
and period of compensation of income
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Support levels : RD Reg. 1648/2005
Annex :
 Axis 1 :


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80 % co-financing of advisory services , max. 1500 €/unit (24) & (25)
50 % or more co-financing of investments (27) & (28)
Axis 2 :
lower levels of support for plantations (43/45) :
- co-financing 40 / 50 / 75 % (all types of land)
- maintenance 5 yrs. (agro benef.)
- compensation of income 500/150 €/ha, max. 15 yrs. (agro benef.)

agroforestry establishment costs, co-fin. 70-85 % (44)
 “Natura 2000 payment” 40-200 €/ha (46)
 “forest environment payment” 40-200 €/ha (47)
 Support for “non-productive” investments
(+ reduced eligibility for state forests , 44/46/47 excluded)


Axis 3 : “setup costs” covered , no co-fin % or max. specified
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Plantations (43-44-45)

Afforestation of agricultural land

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Agroforestry

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Establishment / maintenance / compensation
Public owners only establishment costs
Fast growing trees only estabishment ( see IR)
Avoid concentration on this (classical) measure
Most interesting for MED zone (cork / fruit trees)
See IR on « local conditions » and spp. choice
Afforestation of non-agro land
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Mostly non cultivated open land
Biodiv. Implications to be carefully screened , e.g. for
wetlands / bogs / semi-natural grasslands (wet/dry)
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Environment (46-47)

Forests & Natura 2000 payment

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« Costs incurred » & « income foregone » to be specified
N2000 designations to be specified
N2000 management plans or equivalent
Forest Environment payment

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No set of conditions comparable to CC in agro
« Relevant mandatory requirements » to be specified
« Additional costs » & « Income foregone » to be specified
5-7 yrs. commtiment period is short for forestry
For both measures , a reasoned explanation of the
support levels chosen can be expected from MS
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Additional (48-49)

Restoration & prevention
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Replanting after windfall and forest fires
Potential for important ecological added value
Allows to avoid repetition of disasters
Possibly high demands of Med. Zone for fire
prevention – balance with other measures ?
Non-productive investments
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Can be linked to forest-environment , focussing on
biodiversity
Mainly intended for public access, all owners eligible
Avoid concentration on infrastructure
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Implementing Rules

Axis 1 rules

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Advisory services : degressive support (16)
Investment support : art. 18&19
Forest holding level
Avoid run on machinery
No support for industrial processing (« no downstream « )

Axis 2 definitions : (29-30-31-32-33-34)
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Forest & OWL definitions
Eligibility criteria for owners
Agroforestry
Restoration / prevention / non-productive
Designation of areas
Axis 3 : partnership criteria (36)
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Challenges / Issues (I)

Lower Support for Afforestation (also env. Plantations)
 Maximum public support for establishment costs
capped at 50% (60% for LFAs and mountain
regions), see annex 1
 Income foregone payments reduced to 15 years

No more support for owner co-operation or
establishment of forestry associations Investment
support restricted to micro businesses

No comprehensive set of rules for environmental
conditionality on forestry support that compares to
cross compliance
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Challenges / Issues (II)

Consultation & partnership approach (6)

Eligibility for forestry measures (42.1)

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All forest owners eligible : (43) , (45), (48) , (49)
Private & Municipal only : (44) , (46) , (47)
State forests not eligible : (44) , (46) , (47)
Designation of areas (50.1 / 50.6-7-8)
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Applies to 34 b (i) , (iii) , (iv) , (vi) / (43-45-46-48)
Important planning measure to give owners security
about what is / is not possible on their land
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Cross compliance in forests?
•
Existing Annex III & IV approach of 1782/2003 for the
agricultural sector applies in theory … to forests.
•
EU legislation :
- Habitats directive
- Birds Directive
- Water Framework Directive
- EIA / SEA
•
“Good Woodland Condition” or “ Good Forestry Practice”
concept was refused by MS & AGRI
This means :
Less specific framework conditions than under Agenda 2000
More decision power to Member States
Less direct prescriptions from Brussels
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Forests in transition … 2007-2013
A very diverse set of interests …

Forest + woodland covering 165 M ha , still extending
(500 000 ha/yr in EU 25 – plant. / NR = 50/50 )

Forest expansion can be problematic (debate in several
MS : landscape , natural habitats … )

Energy Policy : White Paper/RES directives >biomass
action plan > biofuel strategy

Forest policy will increasingly respond to broader
issues (climate/water/biodiv./landscape)

Will importance as economic resource decline, and
reliance on imported raw material rise, notwithstanding
policy to expand the resource base since over 25 yrs. ?
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What to avoid ?
Environmental damage from forestry :
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loss of undisturbed forest habitats
loss of semi-natural woodlands
decline of existing forest biodiversity
intensification of forest management
increasing uniformity of stand structures
unwise use of exotic species (fire/wind)
introduction of animals for hunting
large scale drainage (peat soils / wetlands)
acidification / eutrophication (plantations)
- > see “DOBRIS +3 Report” (EEA - 1998)
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What to look for ?
Forest products and public benefits :
- timber as an enviromentally friendly material
- non-wood products, responsible hunting , food
- renewable energy from forest biomass
- environmental forest services :
- habitats and species
- landscape
- soil and water protection
- flood management
- carbon sequestration
- public access , recreation infrastructure
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About EU forests

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Major form of land use : Forest + wood- land
cover = total UAA ( 165 M ha / 33 % cover )
Actual forest estate is mostly semi-natural and
sector has low ecological footprint but “Virgin”
sites are very rare
Large variety of natural forest types and forest
use, with many transitions and regional
combinations (N/S – E/W)
Large variety in forest cover ( <10 to > 70 %)
See For. Strat. Report Staff WP COM(2005)84
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Forest « clusters » (I)
« The Nordics «

Austria, Finland, Sweden and the three Baltic states Estonia, Latvia
and Lithuania : heavily forested and have substantial forest products
industries based predominantly on coniferous forest and a high
utilisation rate;
“The South”

France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Cyprus :
Mediterranean woodland, managed primarily for protection and
where fire is potentially a serious threat. France and Italy in
particular also have large areas of temperate forest and mountain
forests, including coppice areas, farm woodlots and community
forests; utilisation rate of Med. Forests is generally low;
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Forest « clusters » (II)
“ Old and new classics “
 Belgium/Luxembourg, N. France and Germany have a mixed
ownership structure and a wide range of semi-natural forest types
with timber production being significant but forest output is generally
below sustainable capacity;

Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia have
coniferous, broadleaved and mixed forests which have mostly been
subject to age class management with a stocking rate generally
higher than in W. Europe, and the tree species generally closer to
the natural habitats than in the EU 15.
“ Man-made forests “

Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Hungary and UK have
predominantly artificial forest, based on plantations, the objects of
management have been widened in the last decade to encompass
service values, leaving productive functions in the background;

SW France, N Spain and parts of Portugal have large areas of
industrial wood plantations, mainly destined for pulping and a high
utilisation rate.
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About EU ENLARGEMENT

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25 % increase in forest area
30 % increase in no. of forest holdings
47 % increase in standing stock
large potential for employment in forest
sector
increased self reliance for forest products
large increase in protected forest areas
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Business as usual
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No intervention
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Wet Forests
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Multifunctional
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