XIV Conference

1
The Commissions approach for the implementation
of IACS in the Candidate CountriesCurrent state
of play

• Olivier LEO
• DG. JRC, IPSC
• MARS Unit

2
Summary of the presentation

• Historical background
• Who does what ?
• In the enlargement process, for the
  implementation of the Acquis Communautaire
• DG ENLARGE, DG AGRI, DG SANCO, DG JRC
• The 3 pre-accession instruments
• PHARE, ISPA, SAPARD,
• Support, monitoring and ongoing pre-Audit
• The state of play in IACS, in LPIS

3
Historical background

• An old story, with a recent acceleration
• 1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall
• 1990 CY and MT applies to EU
• 1991 European Agreements with CZ, HU, POL
• 1993 Copenhagen EU Council Political and
  economic criteria
• 1994 Candidature of HU, POL
• 1995 Enlargement of EU SW, FIN, OST
• 1995 Candidature of BG, EST, LAT, LIT, RO, SK
• 1996 Candidature of CZ, SLO
• 1997 Luxembourg EU Council Open negotiations 6
  CC
• March 98 Start of the negotiations
• (Hu, P, Cz, Est, Slo, Cy)
• Feb 99 Idem for (Sk, Lat, Lit, Mt, Bg, Ro)
• 1999 Berlin EU Council Open negotiations
  with 10 CC. Allocate budget of 3, 1 Bio EUR /
  year for 2000- 2006 (Phare, Sapard, ISPA)

4
Historical background

• An old story, with a recent acceleration
• Dec 99 Proposal of CC on Chapter 7 Agriculture
  (Luxembourg Group)
• June 2000 EU common position on Chapter 7
• 2000 Adoption of SAPARD program for the 10 CC
• 2000 Publication of the third progress report
• 2000 Road maps (time table to conclude
  negotiations)
• Dec 2000 Nice EU Council Distribution of seats,
  weighting of votes
• 2001 Signature of SAPARD x-annual agreements
  (9CC)
• January 2002 Issue Paper Enlargement and
  Agriculture Successfully integrating new MS
  into CAP
• December 2002 Copenhagen Council
• 1 May 2004 Date of accession, 10 CC
• More details on accession process ?
  http//www.europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/

5
The commission Approach

• Specific case of Agriculture
• Accession partnerships
• National program for the adoption of the Acquis
  (NNPAs)
• Double zero agreement (Agriculture trade
  exempted of duty x more than 2-3 EU imports 88
  , EU exports 75 (00)
• Chapter 07 (Agriculture) one of the most
  important over 31
• CAP Strategy (Agenda 2000)
• Modulation of direct payments
• 25 (04)- 35 (06) 100 (2013)
• Intensified support for restructuring (RD)
  Co-funded 75
• SAPARD funds (Special accession prog. For
  Agriculture and Rural Development)
• IACS is a key element of the Acquis
  communautaire

6
The commission Approach

• The Commission approach
• IACS proposal of simplified Schemes for C.C
• Single area payment Scheme proposed in 2001
• Accession treaty will modify accordingly Counc.
  Reg 1259/99
• Requirement to have a application Reg (DG AGRI
  C1)
• Follow up of pre accession The various technical
  services of the Commission are involved
• Screening and negotiations
• Revision of national Phare, Sapard programs
• Technical support (JRC, TAIEX)
• Monitoring and pre-audit

Who does what?
7
Who does what ?

• The main DG involved in Enlargement CAP

Candidate country
DG Trade
Candidate country
Candidate country
DG Trade
Candidate country
DG Transport
Candidate country
Candidate country
DG Transport
Candidate country
DG ENLARG
Candidate country
Candidate country
Candidate country
Candidate country
DG SANCO
Candidate country
Chapt 7
DG AGRI
DG JRC
8
Who does what ?

• DG Enlargement
• Coordination of the Negotiation process
• Management of PHARE programs
• pre adhesion program for MT and CY
• Final responsibility of reporting on progress
• Geographic structure (bilateral)
• Relies on other DG for technical advise
  (validation of programs, monitoring, etc)
• TAIEX office (Technical assistance information
  exchange office set up in 96)
• Logistical support for invitation of experts,
  organisation of workshops etc

9
Who does what ?

• DG Agriculture. Main units involved
• Unit A II.2 International affairs enlargement
• Head of Unit Richard MOEGELE General
  coordination of Enlargement and Agriculture
• Unit F4 Sapard Management of SAPARD funds
• Unit G 1 Conception of simplified Scheme
• Direction J Audit of Agricultural expenses
• Director Chantal HEBETTE
• Unit J 1 (horizontal financial Audit) Michele
  OTTATI
• Accreditation of SAPARD funds
• Unit J 2 (Audit of Market measures) Hans BARTH
• Unit J 3 (IACS Audit of direct aid) Richard
  ETIEVANT
• Monitoring and pre audit of IACS / arable
• Unit J 4 (Audit of Rural Development) Paul WEBB

10
Who does what ?

• DG SANCO (Health consumer protection)
• Mission statement Implement the responsibility
  entrusted to it by the Treaty and derived
  legislation so as to ensure that a high level of
  human health and consumer protection is attained
  throughout the EU.
• Covers Public Health Food safety Veterinary
  and phyto-sanitary standards and controls inc.
  animal welfare Scientific advice consumer
  protection.
• Direction E Food safety, plant health, animal
  health Welfare, International questions
• Director Alejandro CHECCI LANG
• Unit E 2 Animal Health and Welfare, Zootechnics
  Bernard Van GOETHEM
• Animal registers and monitoring Veterinary
  Services

11
Who does what ?

• DG JRC (Joint Research Centre)
• The JRC mission is to provide scientific
  technical assistance to the other DGs for the
  implementation and the monitoring of the
  Policies.
• MARS Unit (IPSC) Jacques DELINCE , Olivier LEO
• Technical arm of DG AGRI for LPIS, CwRS, GPS
  field measurement
• IDEA Project (IPSC) André POUCET , KORN
• Electronic identification of Animals (for DG AGRI
  )
• Specific PECO Budget Since 2001, JRC allocates
  20 Mio for specific PECO activities
• Various projects,
• reinforcement of partnerships with University and
  Research institutes from PECO Countries.
• hosting Visiting Scientists, Detached national
  experts, Grant holders
• MARS PECO 500 000 /year

12
The Pre-accession Instruments

• The 3 Pre accession instruments for 2000 -2006
• PHARE 1.5 Bio /an
• ISPA (Instrument for Structural policies for
  Pre-Accession) is intended to finance
  environmental and transport infrastructure
  measures (Reg (EC) No 1267/1999)
• 1.04 Bio /an
• SAPARD (Special Accession Program for
  Agriculture and Rural Development) 520 Mio /
  an

13
The Pre- accession Instruments

• PHARE
• Program set up in 89 for 10 CC
• 1.5 Bio /year (2000- 2006)
• (Before 2000, covered also Albania, Bosnia,
  Macedonia of FYR)
• with 2 focus
• Institutional building (30 of budget)
• Investment support (70)
• In 99 (SAPARD, ISPA) Economic and social
  cohesion
• Modalities
• Contracts till 99
• Twinning since 98 475 Twinning (98-01)
• MT, CY, T separate pre accession fundings.

14
The Pre-accession Instruments

• ISPA
• Program set up in 99 for 10 CC
• Co funding (up to 85) 1.04 Bio /year
  (2000- 2006)
• Activities
• Similar to Cohesion funds for Greece, Spain,
  Portugal, Ireland
• Major infrastructure projects in field of
  environment infrastructure
• Drinking water supply,
• Treatment of waste water,
• Solid waste management
• Reduction of air pollution
• Improvement of transport infrastructure
• Indicative allocation
• MT, CY, T separate pre-accession funding.

15
The Pre-accession Instruments

• SAPARD
• Special accession programme for Agriculture and
  Rural development
• Council Reg 1268/99, 21 June 1999
• Budget 530 Mio Euro / year , from 2000 2006
• Covers 10 C.C (all except MLT, CY, T)
• Allocation defined by Commission
• Criteria Farms, Agricultural area, GDP per
  capita, environment constraints
• Aims
• Support the implementation of acquis
  communautaire
• In the area of CAP and Rural Development

16
Pre-accession Instruments

• SAPARD
• Yearly Budget available
• Support for the a wide range of measures 15 type
  of activities
• Improvement of process marketing of agri /
  fish products
• Improvement of infrastructures for quality, vet
  and plant disease, consumer protection
• Investments in agricultural holdings

17
Pre-accession Instruments

• 15 types of actions eligible for SAPARD funding
  
• Specific measure for semi-subsistence farms /
  Diversification / multiple activities
• Early retirement schemes / Setting up farm relief
  / farm management services
• Setting up of producer groups
• Land improvement and re-parcelling
• Establishment and updating of land registers
• Agricultural practices / protect environment
  maintain Landscape (Less favoured area or
  environmentally vulnerable zones)
• Renovation and development of village / rural
  heritage
• Development and improvement of rural
  infrastructure
• Management of agricultural water resources
• Afforestation of agricultural land/ investments
  in forest holdings
• Improvement of vocational training
• Technical assistance for measures covered by Reg
  1268/99

18
Pre-accession Instruments

• Modalities of SAPARD financial management
• Decentralisation of programme management
• Build up the technical capacities of national
  Administrations
• Programs prepared by CC submitted to Com. For
  approval (End 2000)
• Differentiated appropriations
• Separation between commitments and payments
• Application of EAGGF clearance of Account
  procedures
• Implement and monitor the program
• Make payments to beneficiaries
• SAPARD Ag. is supervised by competent Authority
  (National Fund)
• Ensure that agency meets standards in
  Administration, payment, control, accounting
  procedures
• Independent certifying Body to check annual
  accounts
• Monitoring Committee to supervise the programme
  execution
• Checks by EU Commission and Court of Auditors.
• Accreditation process of SAPARD Agencies
• Responsibility UNIT J 1 DG AGRI (May 01 - Nov
  02)

19
Pre-accession Instruments

• SAPARD Agency
• Core functionalities criteria of an EAGGF
  paying Agency
• Future IACS Paying Agency ?
• Paying agency following criteria of Reg
  1663/95
• But subsidiarity principle
• A new Paying Agency integrating all CAP schemes
  (and not only IACS)
• SAPARD
• National Schemes
• Intervention funds
• Intention of Czech Republic Poland, Slovak
  Republic
• Keep the SAPARD Agency and extend its competences
  reinforce its resources

20
From support to audit ?

• Since 3 years technical support moves
• to get a flavour of pre audit
• IACS workshops organised in Brussels (TAIEX,
  Agri, JRC)
• TAIEX 25-26 June 2001 12 CC, Allocution of
  Franz Fischler
• TAIEX 24-25 April 2002 13 CC, complete
  presentation
• AGRI 13 February 2003 10 CC, organised by DG
  AGRI
• PEER REVIEWS missions to monitor Candidate
  Countries
• June- July 2002 Initiative of DG ENLARGE / TAIEX
• Review of implementation of Acquis
• Involve representatives of present MS
  administrations, DG AGRI and JRC
• Reports and recommendations 7 CC Lit, Lat,
  Est, Pol, Hu, SK, CY
• PRE- AUDIT Missions
• Provide an Report to the Council on the capacity
  of CC to actually run IACS after adhesion
• 6 months before Accession date (1 may 2004) i.e
  31 October 2002.
• Identify in advance possible problems and provide
  recommendations

21
From support to audit ?

• PRE- AUDIT Missions
• A comprehensive work program organised by DG AGRI
  (Unit J3 / Audit of Agricultural expenditure
  IACS)
• 13 missions for 10 CC (2 missions for SK, POL,
  HU)
• Team of 3 persons per mission (3 days) , involve
  14 auditors
• Support of the JRC for technical issues (LPIS,
  CwRS)

22
General State of play ?

• Premature to indicate results of on going
  pre-audit
• Rather general indication
• Most advance Candidate Countries
• IACS systems and databases in place
• Already generalised and used for national schemes
  
• Quite advanced Candidate countries
• Candidate countries raising specific concerns
• Still LPIS to develop
• IACS software or Hardware to be contracted
• Organisational issues
• Paying Agency, regional deployment
• Reinforcement and training of staff
• Absence of national schemes
• Involvement of farmer in declaration process

Slov, CZ ...
Lit, Est, CY, MT...
Pol, Hu, SK, Lat
23
General State of play ?

• General State of play on LPIS and GIS
• Parcel identification system was a main concern
• Since early Phare funding Land registry projects
  are mostly funded by PHARE (sometimes in
  conjunction with World Bank SLOV, BUL)
• Complex problems
• Land re-privatisation and /or Redistribution
• Updating and modernizing Cadastre
• Unknown ownership (cf State Land Funds)
• Since first contacts (2000, Taiex 01), JRC passed
  the messages
• LPIS doesnt mean Cadastre / Experience of the 15
  MS
• Develop LPIS within a global vision of GIS (reg
  1593/00)
• 2 errors to avoid
• Using cadastre without orthophotos
• Creating a new system... without links to
  farmers.

24
General State of play ?

• General State of play on LPIS and GIS
• All 10 Candidate countries use an orthophoto
  coverage
• only exception CY
• ( Satellite ortho-image in project)
• An important support
• for eligibility checks
• Reference varies between 2000 -2002,
• according to CC
• Not yet decided for BUL, RO, T.
• 3 CC will use Cadastre
• Slovenia
• (from M Theresian) / x purpose cadastre funded
  by World bank
• Poland
• Rather recent Cadastre Very small farmers
  /Scanned centroid / orthos
• Cyprus (Regular Kitchener) digitized by MoA,
  Comb. With Physical blocks /orthos
• 7 CC will create specific systems based on
  orthophotos
• Physical blocks systems (Baltic)