Environmental Objective(S): Reduce Water Pollution

Environmental Objective(S): Reduce Water Pollution

Matrix Classification:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Environmental Objective(s): Reduce water pollution
  • Type(s) of Measure: Payments based on fixed assets

Policy / Regional aid for environmental protection investments
Agency / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture
Relevant Legislation / EU Agenda 2000
Walloon Region Plan for Environmental Protection
Overall Objective / Reduce water pollution by fertilisers and pesticides
Delivery Mechanism / Interest subsidies up to 5% for 7years (equipment) and 9 years (buildings) are granted (or an equivalent capital bonus for investments made in equity) for investments that helps to protect the environment such as:
- technologies to process or store liquid manure or slurry;
- systems to recover silage effluents;
- used water cleaning systems;
- sprinklers with mechanisms to clean the sprinklers;
- non-chemical weed control equipment
Targets
When Applied
Coverage/Eligibility / Walloon Region
Voluntary
Costs / To Government (taxpayers)
Link to excel file with budgetary expenditures – Expenditure Belgium.xls
Participation/Results / Link to excel file with coverage data – Coverage Belgium.xls
How Programme is Monitored/Evaluated
Source/Further Information / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture

Matrix Classification:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Environmental Objective(s): Biodiversity, Landscape
  • Type(s) of Measure: Payments based on fixed assets

Policy / Agri-environmental Payments - for Landscape Features and Biodiversity
Agency / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture
Relevant Legislation / (CEE) 2078/92, CE/746/96, CE/435/97
Decree of Walloon Government on Agri-environmental payments (3/1999)
Overall Objective / Preserve and maintain traditional landscape features and biodiversity, such as hedges, strops of woodland, old tall fruit trees in pastures, and ponds
Delivery Mechanism / Farmers who pledge to maintain these features and if possible enhance their farms' ecological systems according to particular specifications are eligible for payments of €24.78 per 100metres of hedge for lengths of at least 200, 500, 1000, 2000 or 4000 metres (or alternatively areas of 1, 2.5, 5, 10 or 20hectares) respectively.
Targets
When Applied / From 2000
Coverage/Eligibility / Walloon Region
Voluntary participation
Costs / To Government (taxpayers)
Link to excel file with budgetary expenditures – Expenditure Belgium.xls
Participation/Results / Link to excel file with coverage data – Coverage Belgium.xls
How Programme is Monitored/Evaluated
Source/Further Information / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture

Matrix Classification:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Environmental Objective(s): Biodiversity
  • Type(s) of Measure: Payments based on fixed assets

Policy / Agri-environmental Payments - for preserving endangered local breeds
Agency / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture
Relevant Legislation / (CEE) 2078/92, CE/746/96, CE/435/97
Decree of Walloon Government on Agri-environmental payments (3/1999)
Overall Objective / Preserve endangered local breed of farm animals
Delivery Mechanism / Provide payments to farmers to keep animals listed on the Community inventory of endangered local breeds for a period of at least 5years:
- €119 per hors or cow;
- €17.35 per sheep.
For each breed, the payment is reduced if the total number of females registered in the herd book approaches the cut-off point for recognition as an endangered local breed, which is 5000 for horses and cows, and 7500 for sheep.
Targets
When Applied / From 2000
Coverage/Eligibility / Walloon Region
Voluntary participation
Costs / To Government (taxpayers)
Link to excel file with budgetary expenditures – Expenditure Belgium.xls
Participation/Results / Link to excel file with coverage data – Coverage Belgium.xls
How Programme is Monitored/Evaluated
Source/Further Information / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture

Matrix Classification:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Environmental Objective(s): Biodiversity, Landscape
  • Type(s) of Measure: Payments based on farming practices

Policy / Agri-environmental Payments - for cultivation of older species or varieties of crops
Agency / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture
Relevant Legislation / (CEE) 2078/92, CE/746/96, CE/435/97
Decree of Walloon Government on Agri-environmental payments (3/1999)
Overall Objective / Preserve and maintain the plantation of older species and varieties of crops to preserve the biodiversity and landscape
Delivery Mechanism / Farmers adhering to the specified cultivation requirements are eligible for the payment of:
- €99.16 per hectare and year for cultivation of older varieties of cereals, buckwheat or, in less favoured areas, spelt wheat;
- €297.47 per hectare and year for cultivation of older varieties of potatoes;
- €247.89 per hectare per year, for plantation of older varieties of tall fruit trees (40 to 80 trees per ha)
Targets
When Applied / From 2000
Coverage/Eligibility / Walloon Region
Voluntary participation
Costs / To Government (taxpayers)
Link to excel file with budgetary expenditures – Expenditure Belgium.xls
Participation/Results / Link to excel file with coverage data – Coverage Belgium.xls
How Programme is Monitored/Evaluated
Source/Further Information / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture

Matrix Classification:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Environmental Objective(s): Soil quality, Reduce water pollution
  • Type(s) of Measure: Payments based on land retirement,

Policy / Plant protective headlands and extensive grassland strips
Agency / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture
Relevant Legislation / (CEE) 2078/92, CE/746/96, CE/435/97
Decree of Walloon Government on Agri-environmental payments (3/1999)
Overall Objective / Encourage farmers to create headlands and protective grassy strips along rivers or streams, or around fields, and to plant trees or hedges to limit cropland effluents
Delivery Mechanism / Farmers adhering to specifications and preserving such features for five years are eligible for the following payments:
  • Euro 74.37 per year for a strip of 800 square metres (200 metres by 4 metres, protecting an area of one hectare) of extensive grasslands or grassy headlands replacing arable crops (the payment is €99.16for strips along rivers or streams);
  • Euro37.18 per year for a strip of 800 square metres (200 metres by 4 metres, protecting an area of one hectare) of extensive headland, sown and harvested like an ordinary crop;
  • Euro99.16 per year for a strip of 1600 square metres of strip (200 metres by 8 metres, protecting an area of one hectare) of extensive grassland replacing intensive grassland.

Targets
When Applied / From 2000
Coverage/Eligibility / Walloon Region
Voluntary participation
Costs / To Government (taxpayers)
Link to excel file with budgetary expenditures – Expenditure Belgium.xls
Participation/Results / Link to excel file with coverage data – Coverage Belgium.xls
How Programme is Monitored/Evaluated
Source/Further Information / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture

Matrix Classification:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Environmental Objective(s): Organic farming
  • Type(s) of Measure: Payment based on farming practices

Policy / Payments for organic farming
Agency
Relevant Legislatio
Overall Objective / Promote organic production methods for specific crops
Delivery Mechanism / Conversion and annual payments which differ by crop to farmers applying specified organic production methods for five years. For 1999-2000, annual payments per hectare were as follows:
  • Euro180.52 per hectare for conversion and Euro111.55 per hectare per year to preserve organic annual crops with Community premiums;
  • Euro300.87 per hectare for conversion and Euro223.10per hectare per year to preserve organic annual crops without Community premiums;
  • Euro297.47 per hectare for conversion and Euro173.52per hectare per year to preserve organic grasslands;
  • Euro991.57 per hectare for the first year of conversion, Euro867.63per hectare for the second year of conversion and Euro297.47 per hectare per year to preserve organic vegetable crops;
  • Euro842.47 per hectare for conversion and Euro743.68per hectare per year to preserve perennial organic fruit crops.

Targets / The objective is for 65000 hectares—or 5% of the agricultural area and roughly 2200 farms—to be devoted to organic farming by 2005.
When Applied / From 1994
Coverage/Eligibility / Federal level
Eligibility to farmers with agriculture as main occupation
Costs / To Government (taxpayers)
Link to excel file with budgetary expenditures – Expenditure Belgium.xls
Participation/Results / Link to excel file with organic farming – Organic farming Belgium.xls
How Programme is Monitored/Evaluated
Source/Further Information
Matrix Classification:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Environmental Objective(s): Other sustainable resource practices
  • Type(s) of Measure: Payment based on farming practices

Policy / Payments for integrated apple fruit production
Agency
Relevant Legislation
Overall Objective / Support integrated production of apples
Delivery Mechanism / Area payments to farmers applying for at least five years the integrated production of apple fruit. A fixed payment of Euro247.89 per hectare per year was granted to producers making the conversion between 1997 and 2000. Insofar as producer income losses have proven less than was projected in 1997, degressive payments were instituted for conversions in 2001 (Euro247.89, Euro198.31 and Euro123.95 in the last three years) and in 2002 (Euro198.31 the first year, Euro123.95 the following three years and Euro61.97 the fifth year).
Targets / Convert to integrated cultivation some 14500 hectares, or over 60% of the area used for apple fruit crops at the beginning of 2002.
When Applied / From 1994
Coverage/Eligibility / Federal level
Eligibility to farmers with agriculture as main occupation
Costs / To Government (taxpayers)
Link to excel file with budgetary expenditures – Expenditure Belgium.xls
Participation/Results / Link to excel file with coverage data – Coverage Belgium.xls
How Programme is Monitored/Evaluated
Source/Further Information
Matrix Classification:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Environmental Objective(s): Biodiversity
  • Type(s) of Measure: Payments based on farming practices

Policy / Late cutting and diversification of seedlings
Agency / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture
Relevant Legislation / (CEE) 2078/92, CE/746/96, CE/435/97
Decree of Walloon Government on Agri-environmental payments (3/1999)
Overall Objective / Encourage farmers to practice late cutting, and to diversify seedlings in order to maintain the diversity of the flora.
Delivery Mechanism / Farmers who adhere to requirements for cutting conditions and the use of chemicals qualify for payments of Euro123.95 per hectare per year. Diversification of seedlings in temporary grasslands under the specified conditions can bring an additional payment of Euro74.37 per hectare in the year the grasslands are planted.
Targets
When Applied / From 2000
Coverage/Eligibility / Walloon Region
Voluntary participation
Costs / To Government (taxpayers)
Link to excel file with budgetary expenditures – Expenditure Belgium.xls
Participation/Results / Link to excel file with coverage data – Coverage Belgium.xls
How Programme is Monitored/Evaluated
Source/Further Information
Matrix Classification:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Environmental Objective(s): Biodiversity
  • Type(s) of Measure: Payment based on farming practices

Policy / Very late cutting with limitation of inputs
Agency / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture
Relevant Legislation / (CEE) 2078/92, CE/746/96, CE/435/97
Decree of Walloon Government on Agri-environmental payments (3/1999)
Overall Objective / Encourage farmers to practice very late cutting with limited inputs, promoting wildlife and hence maintaining biodiversity.
Delivery Mechanism / Farmers adhering to specifications stipulating the conditions for cutting and the use of chemicals are eligible for a payment of Euro247.89 per hectare per year.
Targets
When Applied / From 2000
Coverage/Eligibility / Walloon Region
Voluntary participation
Costs / To Government (taxpayers)
Link to excel file with budgetary expenditures – Expenditure Belgium.xls
Participation/Results / Link to excel file with coverage data – Coverage Belgium.xls
How Programme is Monitored/Evaluated
Source/Further Information
Matrix Classification:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Environmental Objective(s): Landscape,
  • Type(s) of Measure: Payments based on farming practices

Policy / Maintain low stocking density
Agency / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture
Relevant Legislation / (CEE) 2078/92, CE/746/96, CE/435/97
Decree of Walloon Government on Agri-environmental payments (3/1999)
Overall Objective / Maintain extensively used grassland
Delivery Mechanism / An annual payment of Euro49.58 per hectare under forage to producers maintaining stocking densities between 0.6 and 1.4 livestock units (LSU) per hectare of grazing land; having at least 90% of their reference forage area made up of grasslands that are cut at least once a year (or used for grazing at least two months per year); and who pledge not to reduce the area of permanent grasslands and to protect and restore their farms’ hedges and watering points.
Targets
When Applied / From 2000
Coverage/Eligibility / Walloon Region
Voluntary participation
Costs / To Government (taxpayers)
Link to excel file with budgetary expenditures – Expenditure Belgium.xls
Participation/Results / Link to excel file with coverage data – Coverage Belgium.xls
How Programme is Monitored/Evaluated
Source/Further Information
Matrix Classification:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Environmental Objective(s): Reduce water pollution
  • Type(s) of Measure: Payment based on farming practices

Policy / Reduce inputs for cereal growing
Agency / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture
Relevant Legislation / (CEE) 2078/92, CE/746/96, CE/435/97
Decree of Walloon Government on Agri-environmental payments (3/1999)
Overall Objective / Reduce the use of industrial fertilisers and chemicals in grain production
Delivery Mechanism / An annual payment of Euro89.24 per hectare to farmers reducing the density of seedlings, nitrogen fertilisers, fungicides and growth regulators in the production of cereals other than maize. Farmers who pledge not to use synthetic fertilisers to grow cereals other than maize are also eligible for annual payments of Euro89.24 per hectare. Farmers are entitled to receive both payments simultaneously.
Targets
When Applied / From 2000
Coverage/Eligibility / Walloon Region
Voluntary participation
Costs / To Government (taxpayers)
Link to excel file with budgetary expenditures – Expenditure Belgium.xls
Participation/Results / Link to excel file with coverage data – Coverage Belgium.xls
How Programme is Monitored/Evaluated
Source/Further Information
Matrix Classification:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Environmental Objective(s): Reduce water pollution
  • Type(s) of Measure: Payments based on farming practices

Policy / Reduce and contain the use of herbicides in maize production
Agency / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture
Relevant Legislation / (CEE) 2078/92, CE/746/96, CE/435/97
Decree of Walloon Government on Agri-environmental payments (3/1999)
Overall Objective / Encourage the use of mechanical weed control and localised treatment (on rows of maize) with synthetic herbicides.
Delivery Mechanism / Annual payment of Euro148.74 per hectare granted to producers who pledge to use synthetic herbicides for localised treatment only and to ensure spacing of at least 40cm between rows that are treated solely by mechanical means. In addition, producers who pledge to cover maize row widths effectively by means of an underseeded catch crop maintained until at least 1January are eligible for annual payments of Euro148.74 per hectare. Farmers may receive both payments, up to a maximum of Euro178.48 per hectare.
Targets
When Applied / From 2000
Coverage/Eligibility / Walloon Region
Voluntary participation
Costs / To Government (taxpayers)
Link to excel file with budgetary expenditures – Expenditure Belgium.xls
Participation/Results / Link to excel file with coverage data – Coverage Belgium.xls
How Programme is Monitored/Evaluated
Source/Further Information
Matrix Classification:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Environmental Objective(s): Soil quality
  • Type(s) of Measure: Payments based on farming practices

Policy / Ground cover between crops
Agency / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture
Relevant Legislation / (CEE) 2078/92, CE/746/96, CE/435/97
Decree of Walloon Government on Agri-environmental payments (3/1999)
Overall Objective / Reduce the risk of soil erosion by maintaining ground cover between crops
Delivery Mechanism / An annual payment of Euro99.16 per hectare paid to producers who plant and keep a catch crop between 15September and 1January, followed by the planting of a spring crop or by fallow
Targets
When Applied / From 2000
Coverage/Eligibility / Walloon Region
Voluntary participation
Costs / To Government (taxpayers)
Link to excel file with budgetary expenditures – Expenditure Belgium.xls
Participation/Results / Link to excel file with coverage data – Coverage Belgium.xls
How Programme is Monitored/Evaluated
Source/Further Information
Matrix Classification:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Environmental Objective(s): Water resources, Biodiversity, Landscape
  • Type(s) of Measure: Payment based on farming practices,

Policy / Protective measures in wetlands
Agency / Ministry of the Walloon Region - General Directorate of Agriculture
Relevant Legislation / (CEE) 2078/92, CE/746/96, CE/435/97
Decree of Walloon Government on Agri-environmental payments (3/1999)
Overall Objective / Protect wetlands
Delivery Mechanism / Annual payment of Euro49.58 per hectare of wet meadow is granted to farmers who manage these meadows without ploughing, flushing out or draining them, without chemicals, and maintaining the land by late cutting and/or grazing with stocking densities of less than 2LSU per hectare.
Targets
When Applied / From 2000
Coverage/Eligibility / Walloon Region
Voluntary participation
Costs / To Government (taxpayers)
Link to excel file with budgetary expenditures – Expenditure Belgium.xls
Participation/Results / Link to excel file with coverage data – Coverage Belgium.xls
How Programme is Monitored/Evaluated
Source/Further Information
Matrix Classification:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Environmental Objective(s): Reduce water pollution
  • Type(s) of Measure: Environmental taxes and charges

Policy / Ecotax on pesticides
Agency
Relevant Legislation
Overall Objective / Reduce the use of pesticides to reduce the risk of water pollution
Delivery Mechanism / A tax of Euro0.248 per gram of active ingredients of pesticides
Targets
When Applied
Coverage/Eligibility / General
Costs / To buyers of pesticides (agricultural producers)
The receipts from the tax are used to finance environmental programmes.
Participation/Results
How Programme is Monitored/Evaluated
Source/Further Information
Matrix Classification:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Environmental Objective(s): Organic farming, Other sustainable resource practices
  • Type(s) of Measure: Payments based on farm fixed assets

Policy / Investment support for sustainable and organic farming
Agency
Relevant Legislation / EU Directive 1257/99
Programming Document for Rural Development in Flanders (PDPO)
Overall Objective / Promote sustainable agriculture and organic farming
Delivery Mechanism / Payments covering 40% of the investment costs for investments aimed at the realisation of an agriculture with broadened goals, sustainable agriculture and/or biological agriculture (e.g. investments aimed at the reduction of the ammonia emissions)
Targets
When Applied / 2000-2006
Coverage/Eligibility / Flanders Region
Voluntary participation
Costs / To Government (taxpayers)
Link to excel file with budgetary expenditures – Expenditure Belgium.xls
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