Measure 4 – Agri-environment-climate and organic farming measure
Measure 4 of the IPARD III Programme – Agri-environment-climate and organic farming measure aims to encourage agricultural producers to protect and enhance the environment on agricultural land under their management. The general goal of this measure is to contribute to sustainable management of natural resources and climate change adaptation, as well to their mitigation through the application of sustainable agricultural production methods that go beyond the level of protection already determined by national regulations.
Measure 4 consists of four operations and is intended for registered agricultural holdings that voluntarily agree to take upthe implementationof one or more of these operations for a minimum period of 5 years.
To implement Measure 4, it is necessary to meet the general and specific eligibility criteria, as well as agro-ecological-climate prescribed within each operation. These commitments go beyond existing legal requirements, that is, the defined baseline (national rules related to land, water, nature protection, use of fertilizers, plant protection products, etc.).
Support for recipients is provided in the form of annual payments per hectare of the area where operations are conducted, as compensation for incurred costs and income foregone resulting from the implementation of agro-environment-climate activities and commitments exceeding the baseline and common agricultural practices. Annual payments include transaction costs for services of authorised agricultural advisory providers for the development of crop plans and other management plans required for activity implementation.
Operations under Agri-environment-climate and organic farming measure and the amount of support:
| Agri-environment-climate operation | Amount of support |
| Operation 1 – Crop rotation on arable land | 436.16 EUR/ha/year |
| Operation 2 – Grassing in inter-row areas in permanent crop land | 332.40 EUR/ha/year |
| Operation 3 – Establishment and maintenance of pollinator strips | |
| – on arable land | 264.65 EUR/ha/year |
| – on permanent crop land | 333.77EUR/ha/year |
| Operation 4 – Sustainable management of meadows and pastures. | 312.52 EUR/ha/year |