| Compensatory payments for less favoured areas (LFAs) |
Measure holder: Sustainable Agriculture Department
PURPOSE AND MEASURES
Compensatory payments for less favoured areas are a common agricultural policy measure. They are intended to support the agriculture in less favoured areas for agricultural production and areas with environmental restrictions.
The purpose of these payments is to compensate the costs of production due to more difficult production circumstances, and to support the landscape conservation and population of such areas. Compensatory payments largely contribute to the income of farmers living in such areas. In conjunction with basic principles of good agricultural practice the measure promotes further use of agricultural areas and conservation of village communities, maintenance of countryside, conservation and promotion of sustainable farming systems, and provision of farming in LFAs. The measure also has positive social effects on the conservation of settlement.
The following agricultural holdings are entitled to compensatory payments:
- agricultural holdings in mountain altitude areas
- agricultural holdings in mountains
- agricultural holdings on steep slopes
- agricultural holdings in Karst region
- agricultural holdings in hilly areas
- various less favoured conditions (other agricultural holdings)
- basic agricultural holdings (agricultural holdings that are not included in the plan, however, their land is listed in the LFAs in the annex 8 to the Rural Development Plan)
The amount of payments paid by the AAMRD in an individual year is set out in annually adopted legal bases for the period 2007-2013.
BENEFICIARIES
Heads of agricultural holdings are entitled to compensatory payments if their holdings lie in less favoured areas for farming, meet the criteria set out in legal bases and lodge a collective application and claim within the prescribed time period.
HOW TO OBTAIN PAYMENTS
The time periods and detail procedure for lodging applications and claims for individual compensatory payments are set out legal bases in force for the period 2007-2013.
Heads of agricultural holdings who lodged a multiple application previous year, receive pre-printed forms of a collective application and instructions for their completion at their home address. Those who are lodging collective applications for the first time can get pre-printed forms at Agricultural Advisory Service’s branch offices and on AAMRD’s homepage.
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 line with decrees (minimum 4 years following the finality of decision on claims).
LEGAL BASIS
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