Article 05 01 01 — Expenditure related to staff in active employment of ‘Agriculture and rural development‚ policy area

Article 05 01 02 — External staff and other management expenditure in support of ‘Agriculture and rural development‚ policy area

Item 05 01 02 01 — External staff

Item 05 01 02 11 — Other management expenditure

Article 05 01 03 — Expenditure related to equipment, furniture and services of ‘Agriculture and rural development‚ policy area

Article 05 01 04 — Support expenditure for operations of ‘Agriculture and rural development‚ policy area

Legal basis

Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending and repealing certain Regulations (OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80).

Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds (OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1).

Council Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 of 21 June 1999 on Community support for pre-accession measures for agriculture and rural development in the applicant countries of central and eastern Europe in the pre-accession period (OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 87).

Council Regulation (EC) No 870/2004 of 26 April 2004 establishing a Community programme on the conservation, characterisation, collection and utilisation of genetic resources in agriculture and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1467/94 (OJ L 162, 30.4.2004, p. 18).

Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 of 20 September 2005 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) (OJ L 277, 21.10.2005, p. 1).

Council Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006 of 17 July 2006 establishing an Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), (OJ L 210, 31.7.2006, p. 82).

Council Regulation (EC) No 1183/2006 of 24 July 2006 concerning the Community scale for the classification of carcasses of adult bovine animals (OJ L 214, 4.8.2006, p. 1).

Item 05 01 04 01 — European Agriculture Guarantee Fund (EAGF) — Non-operational technical assistance

Remarks

This appropriation is intended to cover the preparatory, monitoring, administrative and technical support, evaluation, audit and inspection measures required to implement the common agricultural policy and in particular the measures as stipulated in Article 5(a) to (d) of Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005.

It is also intended to cover expenditure on studies, meetings of experts, information and publications directly linked to the achievement of the objective of the genetic resources programme laid down by Regulation (EC) No 870/2004.

In accordance with Articles 18 and 154 of the Financial Regulation, revenue received on Article 6 7 0 of the general statement of revenue will allow the provision of additional appropriations.

Item 05 01 04 03 — Pre-accession in the field of Agriculture and Rural Development (IPARD) — Expenditure on administrative management

Remarks

This appropriation is intended to cover:

• expenditure on technical and administrative assistance not involving public authority tasks outsourced by the Commission under ad hoc service contracts for the mutual benefit of the beneficiaries and the Commission,

• expenditure on studies, meetings of experts, information and publications directly linked to the achievement of the objective of the programme.

This appropriation covers administrative expenditure under Articles 05 05 01 and 05 05 02.

Item 05 01 04 04 — European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) — Non-operational technical assistance

Remarks

This appropriation is intended to cover the EAFRD‑funded technical assistance provided for in Article 66(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005. Technical assistance covers preparatory, monitoring, administrative support, evaluation and control measures. In this connection the appropriation can, in particular, be used to cover:

• support expenditure (representation expenses, training, meetings, missions, translations),

• information and publishing expenditure,

• expenditure on information technology and telecommunications,

• contracts for the provision of services,

• expenditure on external staff at headquarters (contract agents, seconded national experts or agency staff) up to EUR 1 850 000.

In accordance with Article 18 of the Financial Regulation, revenue received on Article 6 7 1 of the general statement of revenue will allow the provision of additional appropriations.

Item 05 01 04 07 — Pilot project — Conduct a feasibility study on introducing a security fund in the fruit and vegetables sector — Expenditure on administrative management

Remarks

This appropriation may be used to finance a study of the feasibility of:

• introducing a Union system for forecasting fruit and vegetable production by means of market monitoring centres at both Union and national level, tasked with anticipating crises in order to speed up response capabilities,

• introducing a security fund, managed by producer organisations and complementing the present withdrawal scheme, to be used in the event of a crisis (large-scale price collapse, climatic disasters, etc.).

It may also be used to cover technical and/or administrative assistance connected with the preparation, management, monitoring, auditing and control of the project, and expenditure on the dissemination of the results of the study.

In accordance with Articles 18 and 180 of the Financial Regulation, revenue received on Article 6 7 0 of the general statement of revenue will allow the provision of additional appropriations.

Legal basis

Pilot project within the meaning of Article 49(6) of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1).

Item 05 01 04 08 — Sustainable agriculture and soil conservation through simplified cultivation techniques

Remarks

The United Nations Environment Programme contends that more than a quarter of the planet’s agricultural land has become degraded since the Second World War. Between 10 and 15 million hectares are currently lost each year.

In Europe, soil degradation and erosion is probably the most significant environmental problem caused by conventional agriculture, seriously affecting close to 157 m ha (16 % of Europe, i.e. almost three times the total area of France). The average soil erosion rate in Europe (17 tonnes per ha per year) is much higher than the average soil formation rate (1 tonne per ha per year). Most European Union countries are affected by this problem. In the Mediterranean regions, soil erosion is highly pronounced and may affect up to 50 to 70 % of agricultural land. Intensification of conventional agriculture (increased mechanisation and ploughing) over the last 50 years has contributed to this trend, increasing the risk of desertification in most vulnerable regions. Erosion has a major economic impact on the agricultural land concerned, but also on local public infrastructure because of the cost of maintaining water systems and water treatment.

There is reduced biodiversity in conventional agriculture because soil left bare for a lengthy period no longer provides food and shelter for wildlife at critical times. However, production systems which leave surface residues help to restore and maintain various types of wildlife (e.g. birds and small mammals).

Sustainable agriculture is a set of techniques designed to allow farming to take place on a lasting basis from a physical, social, economic and environmental perspective.

Simplified cultivation techniques are the core component; they are techniques aimed at better soil conservation (or conservation agriculture). Conservation agriculture refers to a set of soil management practices which minimise alteration of the composition, structure and natural biodiversity of soil, safeguarding it against erosion and degradation. These techniques combine surface working techniques, mulch sowing, direct sowing, non-incorporation of crop residues and vegetation cover in forestry (spontaneous vegetation or vegetation resulting from the sowing of appropriate species).

Over and above the purely environmental aspect, the economic aspect of conservation agriculture techniques is another major factor to be taken into account. Cultivation within conventional agriculture calls for a high level of machinery investment and maintenance, a high level of fossil energy consumption and considerable working time by comparison with conservation agriculture. For annual growing without ploughing, for instance, fuel savings over conventional systems are put at three to five litres per ha. In general, conservation agriculture reduces energy consumption by about 15 to 50 %, increasing production per energy unit by 25 to 100 %.

Rural development planning action for 2007 to 2013 affords a unique opportunity to make headway with these techniques. The pilot project could cover know-how dissemination activities, this being a fundamental component of the project. One of the basic objectives is to foster knowledge of these techniques so that future EU legislation can be easily applied.

Legal basis

Pilot project within the meaning of Article 49(6) of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1).

Article 05 01 06 — Expenditure on agricultural analysis, inspection, communication and the Conciliation Body in connection with the clearance of accounts of the EAGGF Guarantee Section, the EAGF and the EAFRD

Remarks

This appropriation is intended to cover the financing of the Conciliation Body within the framework of EAGGF Guarantee Section and of EAGF clearance of accounts (fees, equipment, travel and meetings) and studies and other expenditure on communication and support for controls, such as assistance by audit firms.

Legal basis

Commission Regulation (EC) No 885/2006 of 21 June 2006 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005 as regards the accreditation of paying agencies and other bodies and the clearance of the accounts of the EAGF and of the EAFRD (OJ L 171, 23.6.2006, p. 90).

Council Regulation (EC) No 485/2008 of 26 May 2008 on scrutiny by Member States of transactions forming part of the system of financing by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (OJ L 143, 3.6.2008, p. 1).

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