Greece

• General country description
• A. First pillar: implementation of CAP reforms (2003)
• B. Second pillar: implementation of RDP measures during 2007-2013
• C. Vision for the CAP beyond 2013: a short overview of the debate (at Member State level) on future CAP reform
• D. Literature, sources, references
• The comparative analysis provides a compact overview of CAP implementation across all 27 Member States and their visions of the future of the CAP

General country discription

Greece
Comparison with EU-25

Population, 2005 (*1,000,000): 11.1

2.4% of population in EU-25

Population density, 2003 (inh./km2): 84

118 in EU-25

GDP/capita, 2005 (PPS): 19,600

54% of GDP/capita in EU-25

Share agriculture in total employment, 2002 (%): 16

5% in EU-25

Share Utilized Agricultural Area in total land area, 2003 (%): 29

46% in EU-25 in 1998

Average farm size, 2005 (ha): 6

19 in EU-15

Number of farms, 2005 (*1000): 678.2

10.0% of farms in EU-25

Source: own calculations based on Eurostat

Distribution of farming types, 2005 (% of total)

Source: own calculations based on Eurostat

EU funding for the Single Payment Scheme (SPS)
and the second pillar, 2007-2013

Funding according to CAP budget including Bulgaria and Romania.
Sources: Agra Europe (2007); CEU (2006); EC (2007a)

 

A. First pillar: implementation CAP reform (2003)

A.1 Single Payment Scheme

Model

SPS historical (EC, 2007b).

Coupling measures

Complete decoupling. Application of article 69: 10% of the ceiling for arable crops and the beef sector and 5% of the ceiling for the sheep and goat sector, dairy premium in 2007.

Reason for selection

No information.

A.2 EU budget for Single Payment Scheme (SPS) per year (National ceiling) 2005-2013

Source: 2005: EC (2006); 2006-2013: CEU (2006) and Agra Europe (2007)

Share of the farms that receive SPS of the total number of farms (% of total)

No information.

Tradability of SPS

No information.

A.3 Cross-compliance: Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC)

(Source IEEP, 2005; )

Issue
Standards
Summary of farmers' obligations

Soil erosion

Minimum soil cover

maintenance of green cover during wet period (if slope>10%)

 

minimum land management reflecting site-specific conditions

control on tillage on slopes; fertilizer management (application period, dosage, restriction near water bodies); special provisions for acid or hilly soils, areas under Nitrate or habitat Directive and water resource exhaustion areas

 

retain terraces

Terraces should not be destroyed

Soil organic matter

standards for crop rotation where applicable

20% of the arable land has to be cultivated with grain legumes

 

arable stubble management

incorporate residue into ground if low organic matter; is also fire hazard protection. Burning only permitted in exceptional cases

 

EXTRA: irrigation standards / water management

 

 

minimum livestock stocking rates or/and appropriate regimes

limitations of periods for grazing and cutting, no grazing in burned or afforested areas, regionally specified limited stocking rates; waste management, no fires allowed for grass regeneration

 

protection of permanent pastures

no ploughing without authorization

 

retention of landscape features

including wildlife and biodiversity

Greece pays attention to all issues of GAEC and differentiates standards for arable land and areas for livestock production. Regionally specified rules, including EU-legislation for nitrate and habitats.

Reason for selection of cross compliance standards

No information.

A.4 Further reform of market regulations

Decoupling of other products, like tobacco, hop etc.

 

B. Second pillar: implementation of RDP measures 2007-2013*

B.1 Programme level and approval

There is one RDP for Greece. The Rural Development Committee (consisting of representatives of the 27 Member States) has approved the RDP for Greece on 21 November 2007.

B.2 Distribution of public budget over the axes (%)1)

axis 1: competitiveness

axis 2: environment and land management

axis 3: rural economy

Axis 4: Leader

45

34

14

6

1) Figures excluding Technical Assistance
Source: Own calculations based on information provided by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food of Greece

B.3 Integration of Leader in axes 1, 2 and 3

Leader is integrated in Axis 3, as it was in the programming period 2000-2006.

B.4 Local Action Groups (LAGs)

In the previous programming period (2000-2006) 40 LAGs were created in Greece. The number of LAGs for the period 2007-2013 is not yet determined. Leader axis 4 will cover 65% of the country.

B.5 RDP budget 2007-2013 (million euros)

total public budget

% co-financing EAFRD1)

EAFRD budget

Contribution private sector

Total costs

National top-ups

5078.0

73

3707.3

1447.5

6525.4

0

1) % of co-financing may vary per axis
Source: EC (2007a) and information provided by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food of Greece

B.6 Less Favoured Areas

In 2005 6,903,000 ha was designed as Less Favoured Area (LFA) (83% of UAA) (CEU, 2005).

B.7 Drivers of RDP strategy

No information.

* This part is largely based on information provided by Sotiris Koutsomitros and Paraskevi Dilana, Ministry of Rural Development and Food of Greece, Athens.

 

C. Vision on the CAP beyond 2013*

C.1 Stages in the development of the CAP debate

Is there a debate about the CAP beyond 2013?

No, such a debate has not yet started in Greece.

C2 Key issues in the debate

No information.

* Information  provided by Sotiris Koutsomitros, Hellenic Ministry of Rural Development and Food.

D. Literature, sources, references

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