Evaluation of agri-environmental interventions and 'Natura 2000' payments

The thematic evaluation report is conducted within the framework of the independent evaluation service for the Basilicata 2014-2022 RDP and covers the implementation period up to December 2022.

The scope of the evaluation is to analyse the agri-environmental Measures (M10, M11, and M12) implemented by the RDP of the Basilicata region, with a focus on their environmental impact.

The evaluation analysis initially aimed to verify the effectiveness of agri-environmental measures in achieving environmental benefits, assess the efficiency of the policy in terms of optimal resource allocation, identify factors influencing farmers' decisions to adhere to measures and evaluate the impacts of these measures. However, the priority given by the EU to commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has suggested reorienting the analysis to measure the RDP contribution to some of the 2030 Agenda Goals, in particular: Goal 2 'End hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture' and Goal 13 'Fight against climate change'.

The analysis shows that the environmental benefits and impacts of agri-environmental measures are, overall, not only positive but very considerable.

The positive contribution is evident in the achievement of the output indicators linked to the measures (R7/T9 - the percentage of agricultural land under management contracts that support biodiversity and/or landscapes; R8/T10 - the percentage of agricultural land under management contracts that improve water management).

However, not all measures have worked in the same way. M12 intended to compensate for the disadvantages and limitations to agricultural and forestry activity brought about by the management of Natura 2000 sites. This has not been effective to the extent that almost all the allocated resources have been diverted.

The most significant contribution of the RDP Measures was their contribution to achieving the Agenda 2030 Goals, particularly with regard to the targets assigned to Basilicata.

Regarding Goal 2, the analysis highlights that the Measure's contribution in 2020 was 60% (62 935 ha), compared to the total organic area of 104 874 ha in the region, which was equivalent to 22.7% of the total utilised agricultural area (UAA) in that year.

Regarding Goal 13, in 2019, the contribution of agri-environmental measures (M10 and M11) to the reduction of greenhouse gases produced in the region was 24.5%, rising from 10.1 to 7.62 tonnes per inhabitant equivalent.