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eco regimes, the green turn in the CAP

Eco regimes are one of the most important novelties of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period 2023-2027. This is a set of agri-environmental measures that aim to promote sustainability and biodiversity in the agricultural sector. Eco regimes are voluntary for farmers and ranchers, but offer financial compensation for the beneficial practices they carry out.

The eco-schemes will remunerate farms that carry out agricultural or livestock practices that benefit the climate and the environment through voluntary annual commitments. These practices have a higher level of demand than that derived from compliance with conditionality, which constitutes the starting baseline, as well as any other environmental legislation in force, which includes mandatory compliance requirements. Its character is general in application over the territory.

According to the agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, Member States must allocate at least 25% of CAP direct payments to eco-schemes. In addition, they will have to define at least two different eco-regimes, one for dryland areas and another for irrigated areas. Eco regimes must be compatible with the objectives of the European Green Deal and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the protection of water resources and the conservation of biodiversity

How many eco-regimes are contemplated in the CAP?

These practices are grouped into nine types of eco regimes, depending on the type of surface, each with a different amount per hectare.

According to the Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy (PEPAC) approved by the European Commission, The nine eco regimes are the following:

eco regímenes	Tipo de superficie	Prácticas	Importe unitario planificado	Umbral dedegresividad
Carbon agriculture and agroecology: Extensive grazing, mowing and bio diversity on wet pasture surfaces.	Wet pastures.	P1) Extensive grazing. P2) Islands of biodiversity or sustainable harvesting.	€62.16/ha.	65ha.
Carbon agriculture and agroecology: Extensive grazing, mowing and bio diversity on Mediterranean pasture surfaces.	Mediterranean pastures.	P1) Extensive grazing. P2) Islands of biodiversity or sustainable harvesting.	€40.96/ha.	95ha.
Carbon farming and agroecology: Rotations and direct seeding on dryland croplands.	Cropland: dryland.	P3) Crop rotation with improving species. P4)Direct sowing.	€85.72/ha.	30ha.
Carbon farming and agroecology: Rotations and direct seeding on wet dryland croplands.	Cropland: humid drylands.	P3) Crop rotation with improving species. P4)Direct sowing.	€47.67/ha.	70ha.
Carbon farming and agroecology: Rotations and direct seeding on irrigated cropland.	Cropland: irrigated.	P3) Crop rotation with improving species. P4)Direct sowing.	€151.99/ha.	25ha.
Carbon agriculture: Vegetable covers and inert covers in woody crops on flat land.	Woody crops: slope < 5%.	P6) Spontaneous or sown vegetal cover. P7)Inert cover.	€61.07/ha.	15ha.
Carbon agriculture: Vegetable covers and inert covers in woody crops on medium sloping terrain.	Woody crops: slope between 5 and 10%.	P6) Spontaneous or sown vegetal cover. P7)Inert cover.	€113.95/ha.	15ha.
Carbon agriculture: Vegetable covers and inert covers in woody crops on steep terrain.	Woody crops: slope > 10%.	P6) Spontaneous or sown vegetal cover. P7)Inert cover.	€165.17/ha.	15ha.
Agroecology: Biodiversity spaces in farmland and permanent crops.	Cropland and permanent crops: spaces of biodiversity.	PP5)Establishment of biodiversity spaces or water table management.	€56.05/ha (€156.78 in case of underwater cultivation)	Does not apply.

The planned amount has been calculated anticipating that, in 2023, between 70 and 80% of the potential surface will benefit from some practice. Except in the case of practice 5, in the event that there is not sufficient budgetary availability to meet the payment of all applications submitted for an eco-regime, degressivity will be applied, so that the aid will be reduced to 70% for hectares of exploitation above the degressivity thresholds set out in the previous table.

Among the practices that could be included in eco regimes are:

The maintenance or increase of the surface area of permanent pastures and nitrogen-fixing crops.
Crop rotation and diversification of plant species.
Reducing the use of chemical and phytosanitary fertilizers.
Integrated pest and disease management.
The incorporation of organic matter into the soil and the promotion of conservation agriculture.
The creation or maintenance of favorable habitats for wild fauna and flora, such as hedges, borders, flower bands or refuges for pollinators.
Improving animal welfare and preventing zoonotic diseases.

What characteristics are common to all eco-regimes?

One of the common characteristics is that eco-schemes must be based on commitments that go beyond the legal requirements and the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (BCAM) that apply to all CAP payments. That is, eco-regimes must involve an additional effort on the part of farmers and ranchers who want to access them.

Another common characteristic is that eco-schemes must contribute to one of the CAP's nine specific objectives related to the environment and climate. These objectives are: support mitigation and adaptation to climate change; promote the sustainable use of natural resources; preserve biodiversity and landscapes; improve water and air quality; promote animal welfare; promote the transition towards a circular and low-carbon economy; promote the development of renewable energies; increase the resilience of agricultural systems; and improve climate risk management.

A third common characteristic is that eco-regimes must be consistent with the European “Farm to Fork” and “Biodiversity 2030” strategies, which set ambitious goals to achieve more sustainable and healthy food production. Some of these goals are: reduce the use of pesticides, fertilizers and antibiotics; increase the ecological agricultural area; restore damaged ecosystems; protect threatened species; and encourage the consumption of local and seasonal products.

direct aid

The eco regimes have an annual budget allocation of more than €1.1 billion, which represents approximately 23% of the CAP budget in direct aid. They are paid in the form of annual direct aid to active farmers who adopt some of the eco-regime practices. The expected amount is the same for each type of surface, regardless of the practice carried out, with the exception of the P5 biodiversity practice.

Conditions to receive direct aid:

Among the conditions to receive direct aid from the CAP, including those destined for eco-regimes, is being an active farmer along with criteria of social conditionality and reinforced conditionality.

The main eco regimes in detail

Eco regimes are grouped into four main types of practices, namely; rotations and direct sowing for cropland, vegetative covers and inert covers for woody crops, extensive grazing and sustainable mowing for pastures, biodiversity spaces, which can be put into practice on both cropland and woody lands. In future blog posts we will talk about each of them in detail.