Four policy instruments will be presented in this section: agri-environment schemes, good farming practice (GFP), cross-compliance and less favoured area payments. The first three are most clearly designed for improving environmental management whereas for LFA allowances this appears to be a side benefit of their principal objective of ensuring the continuation of farming in marginal areas of the EU. The exception is the measure for areas with environmental restrictions. Agri-environment schemes and LFAs provide incentive or compensation payments while GFP and cross-compliance introduce minimum standards farmers have to comply with to be eligible for different types of subsidies. Evidence for improved environmental management by farmers as a result of the application of a policy instrument is strongest for agri-environment schemes, but even in this case monitoring and evaluation procedures have to be improved.

policy; evaluation; indicators; breeds; Regulation; target; law; environmental protection

Presentation: oral