Annex 3 Summary of ms assessments

Spain

The rural development programming in Spain is comprised of a national framework programme for rural development 2007 – 2013 (based on a national strategy for rural development), a national rural network, as well as 17 regional rural development programmes (RDPs). Quite considerable differences exist among the regions in terms of natural and climatic conditions, as well as the orientation, size and significance of the agricultural sector, and intensity of agricultural production. Nonetheless, it can be stated that for Spain as a whole water issues represent a key environmental problem.

Rural areas cover 91.3 % of the Spanish territory and about 31% of the population live in these areas. The Spanish situation is characterized by important territorial discrepancies, mainly between the interior and the coastal areas in matters such as population density, income and unemployment rate. About 50 % of the total surface area of Spain is utilised as agricultural land (25.2 million ha) and 10.47 million ha are covered by forests. 79% of agriculture land is included in Less Favoured Areas. Around 15% of agricultural land is irrigated and consumes around 75% of total Spanish water consumption. Almost 0.95 million people are employed in 1.140.730 agricultural holdings (998 000 work units), with a high share of farms (68.4 %) managed by full time farmers. The average size of the agricultural holdings is 22.1 ha, with big farms mainly in the centre and south of the country, and on the other side relatively small farms in the North part of Spain. The agricultural sector in Spain is characterized by a comparatively large average holding size (22,1 ha of UAA per holding; EU-15 average 20,2), but there are large differences within the country. So, only 8.7 % of the holdings occupy the 69.1 % of the agricultural land. Only a comparatively small proportion (2.9%) of the country’s agricultural area is under organic farming.

Water quantity issues tend to be more important than water quality issues, although there are also considerable regional differences. Much of Spain is affected by droughts and temporal/geographic irregularities in rainfall. In most regions, irrigation has heavily underpinned the expansion of agricultural production over the last few decades and is seen as a crucial factor for maintaining the socio-economic viability of rural areas. The overextraction of surface and groundwater and water losses due to inefficient irrigation are key water quantity problems, leading to salinization and structural deficits in water balances. Overextraction appears especially important in regions with highly specialized export agriculture, such as Andalucia, Murcia and Valencia. Water quality issues tend to receive more attention in regions with more favourable rainfall patterns, as well as in regions which have very concentrated intensively farmed areas. The levels of nitrate pollution are comparatively low, but show a positive tendency. Locally problems with nitrate are associated with intensive livestock production. Hydromorphological concerns are mainly mentioned in relation to soil erosion and flooding linked to intensive rainfall, and sometimes in relation to wetland protection (maintenance of dikes, floodgates and other elements to facilitate water retention). Water concerns compete for funding with biodiversity conservation as Spain has a very high share of Natura 2000 areas and threatened biodiversity affected by intensification or marginalisation of agriculture. Moreover, soil erosion and protection from forest fires are also very important.

Regional programmes favour axis 1 in their budget allocation. In a number of programmes, the imbalance between axis 1 and axis 2 is very significant, with axis 1 receiving as much as 60% of the total budget and axis 2 as little as 20% (for example Canarias, Navarra, Pais Vasco, Baleares, La Rioja). For most other programmes, axis 1 receives around 50% and axis 2 around 35% (for example, Andalucia, Asturias, Cantabria, Galicia). A few regions allocate nearly equal shares to axis 1 and 2 (for example, Extremadura).

Although the focus of most RDPs tends to be on axis 1, two horizontal measures of this axis are of direct relevance for water and environmental issues. The measures address irrigation efficiency and make explicit reference to the objectives of the WFD. These two measures are part of the national framework and are implemented by most regions (with the exception of a few regions with very low levels of irrigated land), and receive very significant funding in most regions (although the proportion of the measures’ funding earmarked for water issues is often not provided). This is in line with the huge importance of quantatiative water issues in Spain and the comparatively minor relevance of quality issues (only 11.7% of Spain’s territory is identified as NVZ, compared to 40.3% for EU-15). This addressing of water issues within axis 1 measures has to be considered when comparing the financing level of both axes.

Monitoring, control and review

The monitoring systems for the Spanish RDPs are in line with the CMEF. The implementation of RDP measures will be subject to administrative, on-the-spot and cross-compliance/ex-post controls. Some programmes mention the frequency of controls and that these controls will be measure specific. Resources available for control (for example, staff members) are lacking and details of the penalty mechanisms are also often not provided. Regions do not indicate if agri-environment measures would receive additional checks.

The monitoring of agri-environment measures will be done through the application of regular input, output, and outcome indicators recommended for the RDP programmes in general. Output indicators include the number of agri-environment contracts, number of holdings, surface area under AEM management, and number of actions related to genetic resources and animal welfare. Moreover, the surface area expected to contribute to improved water quality is the main outcome indicator relevant for water. At the level of agri-environment measures, water quality improvements in terms of concentration of pollutants in mg/l are not measured (for example, nitrates, pesticides, phosphates) which limits the possibility to evaluate their actual impact on water. A few programmes include the additional impact indicator ‘farmland bird populations’ for AEMs, which can indirectly point to improvements in water quality. At programme level, water quality improvements will mostly be measured through changes in nitrogen balance (kg/ha) and surface area expected to contribute to improved water quality.

A national committee will cover and review the national framework (covering for instance the important horizontal measures). Water issues are not mentioned in the description of its activities, and are also not covered in the subject fields of the 7 specific work groups to be created.

The focus of the programmes’ financing is typically on axis 1 (see above), but this axis includes well-financed measures with strong relevance to water issues. The targeting of quantitative aspects at the national level through these horizontal measures is in line with the main pressures on the resource, as identified in the SWOT analysis. The widespread nature of these actions is in line with a preventive approach, and significant funding is provided. In addition, the change in technology associated with water saving via changes in irrigation infrastructure frequently implies reductions in the nutrients and pesticides leached. Nevertheless, due to the RDPs typically lacking information regarding the extent of the water deficit, the extent to which the water savings will contribute to address environmental issues is unclear.

Axis 2 implements many measures that are directly or indirectly relevant for the protection of water quality (for example, organic farming and integrated production); however, their financial allocation tends to be lower than that of axis 1 measures in most regions. Axis 2 does not address water savings (for example, through changes in crop mixture to include crops with reduced water demand). A number of agri-environment measures address erosion problems and thus indirectly water quality (for example, by providing green cover in almond/olive groves and through afforestation). Spanish RDPs only seldomly provide distinction according to crops for different types of production; mostly the support is provided according to type of production, e.g. organic or integrated (see Q4). Precise geographical targeting of measure application is lacking, there being as a rule no geographical restriction to their implementation within the particular Community. This notwithstanding, in several regions axis 2 measures do focus on specific problems that only affect parts of the region, such as wetlands and vulnerable zones.

As explained for quantitative issues, in the case of agri-environment measures there is a similar problem in determining their incidence for water issues. As mentioned in the previous section, the surface area expected to contribute to improved water quality is the main outcome indicator relevant for water; water quality improvements in terms of concentration of pollutants in mg/l are not measured (for example, nitrates, pesticides, phosphates) which limits the possibility to evaluate their actual impact on water.

The measures provide significant multi-objective benefits. Instances of this are efforts addressing modernisation which have significant impact on water issues (see above), and agri-environment measures which address both water quality and biodiversity.

In several relevant cases a link ensures that the measures do not generate an intensification of the pressure. The support to irrigation modernisation, for instance, is limited to existing infrastructure, and includes clear provisions indicating that water savings cannot be used to expand the irrigated areas.

Most regional programmes refer to the ongoing implementation of the WFD and some describe it in detail. However no reference to the Article 5 WFD assessment was found. The reference is mainly to be found at the measure level, particularly in horizontal measures addressing water quantity and water quality issues.

Conclusions and options for further improvements of the RD as regards to water

The Spanish Rural Development Programmes have a clear focus on environmental issues. Two axis 1 measures address quantitative issues with reference to the WFD; they take up a central position, in line with the national SWOT analysis. Quantitative issues are also clearly addressed through agri-environmental measures. The national framework provided a relatively small number of key measures to be addressed, and the communities developed programmes targeting the particular problems of their rural areas.

An option for further improvement is given in the water-relevant indicators which cover agri-environment measures. The main outcome indicator of relevance for water quality is surface area expected to contribute to improved water quality; the fact that no measurements of water quality improvements are planned limits the possibility to evaluate the measures’ actual impact on water. Clarification could also be provided for the manner in which the results of measures addressing water saving (which make reference to WFD principles) will actually link with the WFD. This is of significance in view of the comparatively strong competition for the resource in the country.

A revision of the Spanish RDPs should also be built on the Art 5 reports of the WFD, in order to ensure a better coherence between both policies.