| Agri-environmental payments (AEP) |
Holder of measure: Sustainable Agriculture Department
PURPOSE AND MEASURES
The purpose of the agri-environmental payments measure (AEP) is to promote agricultural production that meets consumers’ needs and protects human health, ensures sustainable use of natural resources and facilitates a reduction of negative impacts of agriculture to the environment. Agri-environmental measures preserve natural conditions, biodiversity, soil fertility and traditional man-made environment, and safeguard protected areas.
Agri-environmental payments are being implemented within 3 groups:
Group 1: Reduction of negative impacts of agriculture to the environment
- Maintenance of crop rotation
- Greening of fields
- Integrated fruit growing
- Integrated wine-growing
- Integrated horticulture
- Integrated arable farming
- Organic agriculture
Group 2: Maintenance of natural conditions, biodiversity, soil fertility and traditional man-made environment
- Mountain pasture
- Mowing of steep meadows
- Mowing of bumpy meadows
- Meadow orchards
- Breeding of indigenous and traditional breeds of farm animals
- Production of indigenous and traditional varieties of crops
- Sustainable breeding of farm animals
- Maintenance of extensive grassland
Group 3: Conservation of protected areas
- Breeding of farm animals in the central region of big carnivore appearance
- Maintenance of special grassland habitats
- Maintenance of butterfly grassland habitats
- Maintenance of bedding
- Maintenance of bird habitats in humid extensive meadows in the territories of Natura 2000
- Soil coverage in water protection area
Of particular importance are the education of farmers, servants in public administration and public institutes, and the promotion of measures and products intended for general public (providing public information on the importance of agri-environmental measures and education of consumers on the quality of sustainably produced agricultural products and foodstuffs).
BENEFICIARIES
Heads of agricultural holdings are eligible for payments within the environmental measures if they meet the criteria set out in legal bases and if they lodge a collective application within the prescribed time period.
Beneficiaries may replace the existing commitments from the SAEP with new 5-year commitments from the AEP only in 2007 and under conditions set out in legal bases.
HOW TO OBTAIN PAYMENTS
The time periods and detail procedure for lodging a multiple application and claims for compensatory payments are set out in the legal bases in force for the period 2007-2013.
Heads of agricultural holdings who lodged a multiple application previous year, receive a copy of a pre-printed form of descriptive data and a map of agricultural holding with instructions how to claim compensatory payments at their home address. Those who are lodging multiple applications for the first time can get advice from the Agricultural Advisory Service.
Multiple applications must be sent within the time period set out in the decree by registered mail or lodged personally to the AAMRD address.
A copy of the lodged applications, claims, enclosures and proofs must be stored on agricultural holdings in accordance with regulations (the entire period of the duration of a AEP commitment and further 4 years from the last receipt of the AEP payments).
LEGAL BASIS
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