Specific requirements for Rural Development Programmes (RDPs), relating to High Nature Value farming
In order to include effective measures for HNV farming in their RDPs, Member States need to do some background evaluation of needs and how best to address them. The EAFRD implementing regulation states that they should produce an analysis of1:
„Environment and land management: the handicaps facing farms in areas at risk of abandonment and marginalisation; overall description of biodiversity with focus on that linked to agriculture and forestry, including high nature value farming and forestry systems [...]”
The 2007-2013 RDPs should demonstrate that measures are in place to maintain HNV farming and forestry systems. The effects of programmes will be evaluated against this objective, by applying specific “HNV indicators”, as follows.
The Common Result Indicators include:
- Area under successful land management contributing to:
- biodiversity and high nature value farming/forestry
- avoidance of marginalisation and land abandonment
The Common Impact Indicators include:
- Maintenance of high nature value farmland and forestry
The Commission aims to produce guidelines for the application of HNV indicators to RDP monitoring (a first draft has been written by IEEP and EFNCP2). These are intended to help Member States to estimate the area of HNV farming and to monitor how it evolves over time. The Forum is working to promote consistency across the EU on the interpretation and application of the basic HNV criteria.
1 Regulation 1974/2006 on the implementation of EAFRD
2 IEEP and Beaufoy, G., 2007. Guidance Document to the Member States on the Application of the HNV Impact Indicator.
