150 million euros to “clean” the water of nitrates
At a time when the world leaders are negotiating for the salvation of the world climate at the current global conference on climate change (COP26) taking place in Glasgow these days, another debate has been raging in Brussels. The Commission ‘s latest assessment of the effects of the Nitrates Directive (91/676 / EEC) shows that there is still a long way to go to decontaminate water of nitrates.
Ensuring full compliance with the Directive is still a requirement for many Member States, with the Commission… paying attention in early October to 12 Member States with high levels of pollutant inflows from agricultural activities throughout their territory, such as in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, etc. Greece is not included in this list.
However, Greece has already been fined 3.5 million euros by the European Court in early 2020 for delaying the implementation of Community legislation on nitrate pollution of agricultural origin. The country was convicted at first instance in 2015 because he did not characterize as “vulnerable” certain zones, including the plains of Thessaly and Evros, in which nitrate ion concentrations in waters greater than 50 mg / l were recorded as well as eutrophication phenomena.
In any case, a while ago the pre-publication was made for new Invitations of Action 10.1.04, in the framework of the current Rural Development Program, for the “Reduction of Water Pollution from Agricultural Activity”. The total budget of the two calls is estimated at € 150 million, down from previous years. One call will be for lying fields fallow and crop rotation and the second for specific commitments such as green manure in arboriculture and the creation of a buffer zone on land plots adjacent to surface waters.
The action will be implemented in the 30 areas which have been characterized as vulnerable to nitrate pollution of agricultural origin as well as in seven areas of important wetlands – Prespa National Park, Amvrakikos Wetlands, Pamvotida Lake National Park Ioannina – Limos National Park – National Park of Mesolonghi wetlands , Ozeros, Vegoritida, Heimaditida, Petron and Zazari as well as in the Nestos Delta.
Reducing nitrate pollution is a priority for the EU as the intensification of agriculture has increased the use of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers, which lead to water, air and soil pollution affecting human health. and the environment.
The parcels that can be included in the calls of the Action, must be declared in the Single Aid Application (EAE) of the interested party of the year 2021, which will be used as a reference application, to be irrigated and located within the intervention area. For olive crops, there is a special commitment that the minimum planting density of the olive groves to be included should be 80 olive trees per hectare.
Excluded from the inclusion are agricultural plots which in the year 2021, are still included in the action 10.1.04 based on the Call for Expressions of Interest of 2017 and those that are still included in another action of Measure 10 “Agri-environmental and climate measures” or the Measure 11 “Organic Agriculture” of the Rural Development Program 2014-2020.
Invitations for lying land fallow and crop rotation
Beneficiaries undertake to set aside set-aside area annually, which should correspond to at least 30% of the total integrated irrigated area, a percentage that can be increased up to 50%, without providing additional aid. The rest of the area will be cultivated with the eligible arable crops (maize, sugar beets, etc.). It is allowed to co-cultivate with fresh vegetables and vegetables outdoors. In the set-aside area will be prohibited the exercise of any agricultural activity, which may alter the environmental character of the area (eg plowing, fertilizing, use of plant protection products, irrigation, grazing, etc.)
The lying fallow commitment can be applied to different plots each year. However, if the area included in the action includes parcels that are adjacent to surface waters (rivers, streams, lakes, canals, ditches and irrigation or drainage canals), then lying fallow must be applied to them throughout the commitment.
For farmers who undertake to rotate an area annually, this should correspond to at least 30% of the total integrated irrigated area, a percentage that can be increased up to 90%, without providing additional aid. Crops that are traditionally grown as dry crops (winter cereals and legumes) are also established as crop rotation crops and are also declared in the respective EAE as dry crops. The remaining crop rotation will be cultivated with the eligible arable crops (sunflower, cotton, etc.). Co-cultivation is allowed only with outdoor fresh vegetables and vegetables.
Source: ot.gr