Water Protection Tools in the EU Common Agricultural Policy

1. TOOLS FOR WATER PROTECTION IN THE EU COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY (CAP) SOURCE: Working Document “The Water Framework Directive and tools within the CAP to support its implementation” Brussels, 7 February 2003 Maret Merisaar, CCB Estonian Secretariat

2. Contents of the document • 1 Introduction • 2 Goals of the Water Framework Directive • 3 Impact of agricultural activities to water bodies and water ecosystems. • 4 Interactions between the WFD and the CAP • 5 Tools for water protection in the current CAP • 6 Development of the CAP from the point of view of water protection • 7 New environmental standards • 8 Conclusions CCB SEMINAR 15-16 DEC 2003

3. 1 Introduction • The Working Document of the EC “Water Framework Directive (WFD) and tools within the CAP to support its implementation” was published on 7 February 2003. • Target groups – public authorities in charge of rural development planning, river basin management and nature protection as well as the secretariats of international environmental conventions. • One of the goals is to facilitate the dialogue between the authorities of agriculture and environment administrations. It compares the time schedules for implementing the WFD and the CAP reform. • This is a discussion document that will be regularly updated according the changes in both of these EU policies. CCB SEMINAR 15-16 DEC 2003

4. 2 WFD: purpose and key objective • The WFD establishes a framework for the protection of all waters (including inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater) which: Prevents further deterioration of thestatus of water resources; Promotes sustainable water use; Aims at enhancing protection and improvement of the aquatic environment through specific measures Ensures the reduction of pollution of groundwater and Contributes to mitigating the effectsoffloods and droughts. • …and what is the key objective? • Overall, the Directive aims at achieving good water status for all waters by 2015. CCB SEMINAR 15-16 DEC 2003

5. 3 Impact of agricultural activities to water bodies and water ecosystems • Irrigation – mainly in the southern memberstates, (maize, friuts, vegetables) • Drainage – lowering of groundwater table, deterioration of wetlands • Quality and quantity of ground water – usage of pesticides, nutrients, drainage and irrigation, intensive water usage (e.g.dairies) • Quality and quantity of surface water – in addition to above: heavy metals from fertilizers, erosion sediments, ammonia from manure storages into waterbodies. • Competion in land-use – while restoring hydromorphology, protecting wetlands, creating new grasslands, fighting with floods.

6. Interactions on administration level Planning and timing of activitieswithin CAP and WFD: Bigger changes in the CAP only after 2007. Synergies from problem identification and coordination of measures. Cooperation of authorities in selection of monitoring sites and protected areas Use the results of river basin characterizations from 2005 from RBMP. Competition for land usage – grasslands, forests, abandonement. WFD allows some exemptions(derogations) in deadlines for achieving environmental standards and in the strictness of the requirements. 4 Interactions of agriculture and water mangement 1 CCB SEMINAR 15-16 DEC 2003

7. Interactions on farm level Water protection requirements in the WFD Minimum or basic requirements Additional requirements (unclosed list) Environmental standards Polluter pays principle Farmers in different river basins may have different requirements = economic competion conditions How does WFD differ from earlier water protection directives? 4 Interactions of agriculture and water mangement 2 CCB SEMINAR 15-16 DEC 2003

8. 5 Tools for water protection in the current CAP • Regulation 1259/1999/EC – subsidies depending from impl of ennv requirements in endangered areas • Rural development (see next slide) • Good agricultural practice (in sensitive areas) and minimum standards (for young farmers) already exist in the Rural Development Plans but only are to be written into the RBMPs • Consultation processes on both national and international level. • LEADER + as part of Structural Funds – can help to implement the water management projects under Water Framework Directive CCB SEMINAR 15-16 DEC 2003

9. 5 Tools for water protection in the current CAP 2 5.2. Rural development: • Investments into agricultural enterprices (holdings)- (new manure storages and spreading equimpent) • Young farmers should follow minimm standards • Training programmes: Org. farming, water protection • Early retirement • Less favourable areas, LFA (may contain Natura 2000 wetlands) • Agri environmental measures. Compulsory additional programmes for 2007-2013 required • Products processed and marketed in “water friendly way”. • Forestation subsidies to be directed to areas with sensitive ground water or for creating buffer strips • Adoption and development or rural areas

10. Progress report of the CAP and Communication No 2002/394. Proposals: Decoupling: subsidies based on former support, free choice of crops; geographical differences in pollution load Cross compliance: requirements from 14 directives on Health protection, ocupational environment, animal welfare etc as precondition for receiving futher subsidies. Modulation and degressivity: Gradual decrease of direct subsidies to production activites. 6% to rural dev New temporary and decreasing measures in the EU rural development policy for implementing compulsory environmental standards Abandonment of land for protecting the environment 6 Development of the CAP from point of view of water protection CCB SEMINAR 15-16 DEC 2003

11. WFD implementation and CAP reform

12. 7 New environmental standards Water Framework Directive sets new environmental standards (leading to different limitations in different river basins). Member States must declare how they plan to ensure that new standards will be met. Possibilities: • Obligatory management requirements (as the preconditions for paying subsidies) • Compensations to farmers in NATURA 2000 (wetland) areas. • New measure – temporary and decreasing subsidies helping to get used to new requirements. • In selected, especially endangered areas – sufficient economic subsidies in the form of agrienvironmental measures. CCB SEMINAR 15-16 DEC 2003

13. 8 Conclusions During the next CAP financing cycle (2007-2003) the WFD can be implemented via...: • ...possibilities that already exist in the current CAP; • ...changing voluntary Good Agricultural Practices into an obligation; • ...subsidies to farmers who go beyond obligatory requirements (it may be done under the “agrienvironmental measures”); • ...subsidies for meeting new environmental standards. • As a completely new measure under Water Framework Directive implementation • Or as a new support under current Less Favorable Areas chapter (EC Regulation No 1257/1999 art 16, compensations in Natura 2000 wetlands) • ...better collaboration of the authorities planning rural development and river basin management plans. CCB SEMINAR 15-16 DEC 2003