Environmental monitoring plan report

The declaration of environmental impact in the Rural Development Programme (RDP) of the Autonomous Community of Navarre 2014-2020 incorporates an 'Environmental Monitoring Plan' to monitor the RDP through 35 agri-environmental indicators.

This report reflects 2021 and previous data for the agri-environmental indicators, based on the monitoring of the 2014-2020 RDP. It also includes monitoring data from the previous 2007-2013 RDP to have sufficiently representative datasets for each indicator.

The report was commissioned by the Managing Authority of the Navarre 2014-2020 RDP. It covers data series from 2007-2021 and was published in 2021.

Regarding the evaluation's structure, the report contains a fiche with the details of each indicator, including related objectives and measures, unit of measurement, calculation methodology, periodicity, reference targets and data sources.

The evaluation concludes that, of the 35 indicators calculated, 16 (46%) show a trend corresponding to the 2014-2020 RDP in line with the established objective, while 17 indicators (49%) show a trend contrary to the objective pursued. These results have worsened compared to the latest Environmental Monitoring Plan.

For soil indicators (total fertiliser consumption per utilised agricultural area (UAA), nitrogen content in soils), all data for the 2014-2020 RDP period show opposite trends to the target to be achieved.

In relation to pesticides, the indicators on application intensity show data that is much lower than the Spanish average, although the overall trend is upwards.

The indicators on water quality and reduction of leachates show a positive trend for surface waters, except for pesticide concentration. In groundwater, on the other hand, nitrate and phosphorus concentrations have increased. Irrigation water consumption keeps increasing, as well as erosion.

Regarding energy efficiency indicators, energy consumption has an increasing trend in the 2014-2020 RDP period, but the production of renewable energy by the primary sector is increasing and, therefore, aligned to achieving the objective.

The report observes a downward trend in greenhouse gas emissionsin the region. However, farms benefiting from the RDP show increased emissions, including ammonia.

The objective of promoting carbon sinks through forest areas maintains a trend in line with the stated objective, although in 2021, the variation in the forest area was negative.

In relation to the protection of biodiversity, the trends shown by the indicators are uneven.

The area of holdings benefiting from RDP support within the Natura 2000 network (indicator 23) continues to show a downward trend, confirmed by a decrease in the number of hectares for 2021.

Finally, the development and promotion of organic agriculture and livestock farming maintains a general upward trend in Navarre and therefore aligned with the objective, with an increase in both the area and the certified organic land uses in Navarre in 2021. In farms receiving RDP funding, the trend, both in arable and livestock, is upwards with 66% of the area and 71% of the land in organic use being beneficiaries of RDP aid.