Focus Group on Delivery of Environmental Services

Focus Group findings and recommendations

Kaley Hart, ENRD Contact Point

Successful Programming Seminar Brussels, 6-7 December 2012

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Content outline

FG work and achievements

Findings: approaches used and success factors in delivering environmental services

Recommendations

3 webinars

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The FG work

SCOPE

Phase one (Jan-Jun)

Phase two (Jul-Dec)

What

Why

How (tools/success

factors)

How (programming)

4 Workshops

and field visits

Around 40 members including:

7 MAs, 3 NRNs, 12 EU

organisations, national agencies,

institutes.

Final report (Dec 2012)

More than 50 examples collected!

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The examples collected

Environmental services considered

Environmental service No. examples

Biodiversity – habitats and species 35

Landscapes 17

Water Quality and/or Availability 17

Soil Functionality 10

Resilience to Flooding or Fire 8

Climate regulation (reduced greenhouse gas emissions/ carbon sequestration 3

Air Quality 1

Other 8

NB: Most examples delivered multiple ES

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The examples collected Measure Description

No. examples

111 Vocational training and advice 5

114 Use of advisory services 2

121 Modernisation of agricultural holdings 2

211/212 Natural handicap payments to farmers in mountain areas 2

213 Natura 2000 payments and payments linked to Directive 2000/60/EC 1

214 Agri-environment 27

216 Non-productive investments 5

223 First afforestation of non-agricultural land 1

225 Forest-environment payments 2

226 Restoring forestry potential and introducing prevention actions 3

227 Non-productive investments (forestry) 1

323 Conservation and upgrading of the rural heritage 5

Leader Leader 4

Other RD Linked to other RD interventions (non-EAFRD measures) 5

Many measures were used in combination

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Integrated approaches

Collective approaches

Community-based

approaches

Holistic approaches

Outcome-focused delivery

Single Measure

approaches

Approaches to delivery of ES

Good Communication

Streamlined administration

Good advice

Clear aims

Good administrative coordination

Good communication

Promotional activities

Good advice

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Initial findings: success factors

Measure and scheme design

Collaboration Partnership Ownership

Advice Training

Communication

Provide focus, flexibility, collaboration, right incentives, coherence with other policies

Partnership (Axis 2 measures

design - FI) Responding to

needs (Rural heritage

programmes - DE)

Delivering effectively, at different scales, across sectors

Collective approach to

deliver results at scale (NL)

Building trust, knowledge and understanding – government,

delivery bodies and land managers Good quality,

tailored, integrated (IT)

Peer-to-peer advice

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The Programming Cycle

• Simplification • Structure and logic • Collaboration • Responding to needs • Flexibility • Clarity • On time • Communication

• Knowledge and capacity • Flexibility • Clarity • Communication • Ownership

• On time • Clarity • Feedback • Appropriate scale

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Assessing Environmental Needs

Current problems Possible solutions

10

Advice and knowledge

transfer AEC

Natura 2000

Cooperation

Investments in

physical

assets

• Identify suitable measures and prioritise funding

• Ensure coherence with other CAP elements

• Assess the multiple benefits to be achieved

• Identify safeguards to ensure expenditure is ‘environmentally proofed’

• Determine eligibility criteria to ensure availability to target audience

• Ensure flexibility of approaches • More stakeholders’ involvement

Choice of Measures and Programme Design

LEADER

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Recommendations: Implementation

Clarity and flexibility of

administrative processes

(including controls)

Ensure technical

advice and timely

payments

Develop land managers’ and

advisers’ capacity and knowledge

Implementation

Ensure good communication

between stakeholders,

including across different

departments

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Guidance needs

Possibilities for combining

measures to deliver ES effectively

Information on what is feasible

under each measure

How to demonstrate the delivery of

multiple objectives through the M&E System

Clarity on control and eligibility rules

Clarity on the baseline for payments

Practical information, e.g. how to write

contracts for collective approaches

Checklist for MA to ensure RDPs are ‘environmentally

proofed’

All guidance to be: - Simple, clear and short - Providing in good time – most RDPs for 2014-2020 are already under development