Legal framework
 

In the ambit of Council Regulation (EC) no. 1257/1999 of 17 May, the Rural Development Plan for the Azores Autonomous Region (PDRu-Azores) was approved by Decision C (2001) 475 of 1 March.

The PDRu-Azores set out “Agro-Environmental Measures”, the basic objective of which is to support agricultural production methods aimed at protecting the environment and safeguarding the natural landscape.

Thus, the Regulation governing the implementation of “Agro-Environmental Measures” in the Azores Autonomous Region was approved by Ordinance no. 52-A/2001, of 19 July, amended by Ordinance nos. 22/2001 of 9 August, 28/2001 of 27 September, 44/2002 of 23 May, 112/2002 of 12 December, 81/2003 of 9 October, 81/2004 of 7 October and 14/2006 of 26 January.

 
Territorial scope
 

The Agro-Environmental Measures transversally apply to the entire Azores region.

Objectives
 

The Agro-Environmental Measures correlate to the global objectives of EC agricultural and environmental policy, and they particularly promote:

·       agricultural methods that are compatible with environmental, landscape, natural resource, soil and genetic diversity protection and improvement;

·       an extensification of environment-friendly farms and the maintenance of extensive grazing systems favouring the environment;

·       the conservation of cultivated zones of great natural value that are under threat;

·       the preservation of the landscape and the historical and traditional nature of agricultural land;

·       the use of environmental planning in agricultural lands.

Beneficiaries
 

The beneficiaries are, depending on the measure, self-employed or incorporated farmers, the holders of agricultural land located in intervention zones as well as the breeders of cattle of indigenous breeds.

Summary of measures
 

The Agro-Environmental Measures are divided into three Groups, based on their specific objectives.

Ø       Group I – Environmental, soil and water protection and improvement

§         Measure 212 – Continuation of the extensification of livestock production

Ø       Group II – Preservation of the landscape and cultivated areas of high cultural and heritage value, with historic and traditional characteristics in agricultural lands

§         Measure 221 – Conservation of viticulture areas

§         Measure 222 – Conservation of hedges to protect perennial crops

Ø       Group III – Protection of genetic diversity

§         Measure 232 – Protection of the indigenous "Ramo Grande" breed of cattle

 Beneficiaries' commitments
 

Farmers must commit to the agro-environmental measures for at least five years. That commitment must go beyond the mere application of current good agricultural practices and must be distinct to that undertaken through COMs of Compensation Payments.

The specific commitments of each measure are contained in the Annex - Norms and Completion Instructions.