Anticipation building as opening of AECM edges closer

The level of anticipation surrounding the unveiling of final details for the Agri-Environment Climate Measure (AECM) is building week by week. Reports indicate the Department of Agriculture is confident it will receive approval for most of Ireland’s flagship agri-environment scheme by the end of the month.

This is in line with the European Commission granting approval for many aspects of Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027.

Sources maintain there were no major changes required from the initial scheme metrics included in Ireland’s CAP plan submitted to the EU earlier this year.

Training of advisers is planned for July and this is another step in paving the way for the opening of the scheme while the tender process for another important element, selecting managers for the co-operation projects across eight locations, closed in early March.

Scheme metrics

To recap, the AECM has two elements. The first of these is an individual entry route whereby a farm plan is drawn up to cover just that farm. It is expected that there will be in the region of 30,000 places available through this ‘general’ entry route. The maximum payment is €7,000 for farmers who commit to a high level of environmental ambition with the average payment expected to be in the region of €5,000 per applicant.

The second entry route is the co-operation model where farmers commit to working together as part of a team. The scheme measures will be based on the objectives selected for the eight priority areas detailed on the map. These include Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Natural Heritage Areas land designations along with offshore islands and a range of European Innovation Partnership (EIP) schemes.

The number of places available through this entry route is 20,000. There is a higher potential payment of €10,000 where applicants opt to commit to the team measures and also undertake individual add-on measures. The average payment here is expected to settle in the region of €7,000 per applicant.

General entry route

It is not surprising that the individual entry route is expected to be oversubscribed, with over 46,000 applicants in the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) and in excess of 10,000 initially submitting an expression of interest in the Results-Based Environment Agri Pilot (REAP).

As such, applications will be ranked based on the level of environmental benefit that their application is predicted to deliver. A three-tiered system will be employed to rank applications.

Tier 1 is designed to target priority environmental assets (PEAs) on a farm which is not located in the priority areas outlined for the co-operation entry route. Farmers with PEAs will be granted priority access as long as the number of applications in Tier 1 does not exceed the number of places available in the particular intake run. If so, a scoring matrix will be used.

To avail of priority entry an applicant must commit to undertaking all mandatory actions related to different PEAs including – private Natura (low-input grassland scorecard action as deemed appropriate by adviser); commonage land (results-based commonage scorecard will apply); geese and swans area (geese and swans action); breeding wader mapped areas (low-input grassland scorecard action as deemed appropriate by adviser); Catchments identified as having high status water objective (EPA designated) (no mandatory action, but actions appropriate to local needs, identified in the farm. Organic farmers will also be afforded priority access.

Tier 2 also has complex criteria. The main farms targeted here are those operating at higher stocking rates (>130kg organic N/ha), possessing in excess of 30ha arable lands or farming within an area deemed to have a vulnerable water status. Priority will also be granted here to farmers participating in certain forestry schemes or committing to undertake tree planting actions.

Again, a list of mandatory actions will accompany all of these priority areas, with management of low-input peat grassland a new addition to schemes which has not been previously seen.

Tier 3 is the lowest-priority entry route and the one where a scoring matrix and ranking and selection process will almost certainly be required. Here a farmer and an adviser must design a farm sustainability plan selecting from over 30 possible actions including, for example, tree planting, hedgerow management, low-input grasslands etc.

The proposed payment is detailed for four results-based measures as follows;

Co-operation actions

Farmers entering the AECM through the co-operation route will be offered tailored farm, landscape and catchments measures/actions. These measures or actions will be determined by the co-operation teams established to assist with the implementation of the scheme at local level in consultation with relevant stakeholders.

Measures will be linked to requirements under Ireland’s Priority Action Framework for Natura 2000 and the EU Water Framework Directive.

Examples of these measures include commonage actions, large-scale drainage or rewetting actions, landscape prevention or enhancement actions and those related to invasive species control, scrub control, upland fire control and the provision of access roads and water and nest protection.

Actions will be a mixture of mandatory actions and some results-based payments which can be farm specific and designed to reward participants for delivering specific results. The project teams will contain project managers, supporting administrative staff and relevant experts including hydrologists, ecologists, ornithologists, environmental scientists – field officers and farm advisers.

The Department of Agriculture is currently working on a portal which will allow farmers or their advisers in the proposed regions to check if they are eligible to join via the co-operation entry route.

Proposed actions