Implementation and effectiveness of EU-agri-environmental schemes established under regulation 2078/92

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 95.0183

Key words (English)

Agri-environmental policy; evaluation of agri-environmental schemes; effectiveness; implementation

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: FAIR1-CT95-0274

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 4.3 Biomedical/Health research

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Institut für ländliche Strukturforschung (D) (Coordinator), King's College London, Department of Geography (GB), Université de Paris VII, Departement de Géographie (F), Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Ecology Department (E), Instituto Para O Desenvolvimento Rural E Gestao Ambiental (P) , Agricultural University of Athens, Department of Agricultural Economics (GR), Den Koniglige Veterinaer- og Landbohoejskole, Department of Economics and Natural Ressources (DK), The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Department of Economics (S), Bundesanstalt für Bergbauernfragen, Wien (A)

Abstract (English)

EU agri-environmental policy was extended in 1992 with the reform of the CAP. Regulation (EEC) 2078/92 is one of the so-called 'accompanying measures' designed to provide a framework for the implementation of agricultural production methods which are compatible with both environmental protection and the preservation of the countryside. In response to this Regulation, the European Commission approved more than 130 different programmes containing over 2000 distinctive measures presented by the 15 member states prior to 1998. European agricultural regions vary widely with regard to landscape, farming types/structures and agri-environmental issues resulting in corresponding differences in specific regional requirements. This in turn leads to differences in implementation. It is therefore clear that the evaluation of agri-environmental schemes depends on the development and application of methodologies which are both regionally specific and, to a certain extent, cross-nationally comparable.
A theme group approach was chosen in order to develop common methodologies. The theme groups were selected to correspond with the six central research questions: (1) analysis of the environmental impact of Reg. 2078/92; (2) analysis of the income effects of Reg. 2078/92; (3) analysis of the adoption of agri-environmental schemes and farmer's attitudes; (4) analysis of the interaction and synergy effects generated by Reg. 2078/92 on other policy areas; (5) model simulation to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures in one single country as a complementary research approach; (6) in-depth, cross-country comparison of agri-environmental programmes in Austria and Switzerland.
The contribution of the Swiss Team related mainly to the economic aspects of the impact of Reg. 2078/92. A methodological approach was developed to quantify the income effect of agri-environmental payments. An ex-post analysis of the Swiss case study areas, using linear programming for the most important farm types, was combined with the results of a Delphi survey concerning agri-environmental measures. The implementation processes were analysed and compared in the Swiss-Austrian analysis.
Recommendations for policy formulation will represent the conclusion of this project.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 95.0183