Landscape-level farming, agri-environment schemes and biodiversity in the European Union

Abstract

In 1992, an EEC Regulation (2078/92) was introduced, requiring all EU member states to apply agri-environment measures according to environmental needs and potential. Agri-environmental schemes are a 'key mechanism' for influencing land management across the European Union (EU) (Woods, 2010, p. 10) and play an important role in EU environmental commitments. EU Member States agreed on a 2050 and 2020 headline target, namely to halt the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, and restore them in so far as feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss. Key targets of the integrated approach arising from the Agenda 2000 Reform of the CAP included safeguarding biodiversity, and agri-environment schemes are the only mandatory policy instrument for Member States within Axis 2 of the Rural Development policy. Each EU Member State is required to incorporate these targets, complemented with corresponding national targets where necessary, into its own National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. A textual analysis was used, to research the potential of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to address biodiversity concerns is explored in this research, the effectiveness of CAP policy's agri-environment schemes at protecting biodiversity, the limitations or barriers of the CAPs agri-environment biodiversity schemes, and how these limitations may be improved upon. Research from there on, made use of a case-study methodology. of landscape-level fanning, how best it can be promoted and what prevents its uptake by fanners There are substantial opportunities - and necessities - given current climatic and environmental factors, to develop agri-environment schemes further, both for their efficiency and effectiveness and for the imperative to promote and protect biodiversity. The role of the fanner in safeguarding biodiversity is critical, due to the loss of biodiversity with agricultural intensification.