ANNEX II

A.CONTENT OF A RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (ARTICLE 5)

5.Information on the axes and measures proposed for each axis and their description

5.3.Information required for Axes and measures

5.3.1.Axis 1: Improving the competitiveness of the agricultural and forestry sectorCommon to certain measures relating to forestry

  • linkage of proposed measures with national/sub-national forest programmes or equivalent instruments and with the Community Forestry Strategy.

5.3.1.1.Measures aimed at promoting knowledge and improving human potential

5.3.1.1.1.

Vocational training and information actions, including diffusion of scientific knowledge and innovative practices, for persons engaged in the agricultural, food and forestry sectors

  • description of the operations (including types of training) and the type of beneficiaries,

  • details on coverage of support.

5.3.1.1.2.Setting up of young farmers

  • the definition of ‘setting up’ used by the Member State/region,

  • a summary of the requirements of the business plan, including in case of investments to comply with existing Community standards within a 36-month grace period, and details on frequency and treatment of reviews of the business plan,

  • use of the possibility to benefit from the grace period in order to reach the occupational skills and competence requirements,

  • use of the possibility to combine different measures through the business plan giving access of the young farmer to these measures,

  • amount of support and choice of payment (single premium in up to five instalments, interest rate subsidy or combination of both).

5.3.1.1.3.Early retirement of farmers and farm workers

  • description of the link with national retirement schemes,

  • description of the link with the young farmers setting-up measure (where this options was chosen),

  • duration of the aid,

  • use of the possibility to transfer released land to a body which undertakes to reassign it at a later date,

  • amount for payments.

5.3.1.1.4.Use of farm and forestry advisory services

  • description of the farm/forestry advisory systems put in place by the Member State, including the procedure for the selection of the bodies responsible for the provision of those services to farmers/forest holders,

  • amount and rate of support.

5.3.1.1.5.Setting up of management, relief and advisory services

  • description of the setting-up procedures, the status of the services providers, the type of services covered,

  • description of the types of eligible expenditures, level of support, including its degressivity.

5.3.1.2.Measures aimed at restructuring and developing physical potential and promoting innovation

5.3.1.2.1.Modernisation of agricultural holdings

  • description of the requirements and targets with regard to the improvement of the overall performance of the agricultural holdings,

  • types of investments (tangible-intangible),

  • types of beneficiaries,

  • designation of the newly introduced Community standards (and of existing standards in the case of young farmers receiving setting-up support) for which support may be granted, justification related to the specific problems involved in complying with these standards and duration and justification of the grace period per standard concerned,

  • type of support and aid intensities.

5.3.1.2.2.Improving the economic value of forests

  • types of investments and of the beneficiaries concerned,

  • type of support and aid intensities.

5.3.1.2.3.Adding value to agricultural and forestry products

  • description of the requirements and targets with regard to the overall performance of the enterprises,

  • primary production sectors and types of investments (tangible-intangible),

  • types and size of the beneficiary enterprises,

  • designation of the standards for which a period of grace can be granted to micro-enterprises in order to comply with a newly introduced Community standard,

  • type of support and aid intensities.

5.3.1.2.4.Cooperation for development of new products, processes and technologies in the agriculture and food sector and in the forestry sector

  • sectors covered and types of partners involved in the cooperation projects,

  • description of any distinction between cooperation projects in the fields of new products/new processes/new technologies,

  • types of eligible costs and levels of support.

5.3.1.2.5.Infrastructure related to the development and adaptation of agriculture and forestry

  • Description of the type of operations.

5.3.1.2.6.Restoring agricultural production potential damaged by natural disasters and introducing appropriate prevention actions

  • On occurrence of such events, assurance that only investment expenditure is covered.

5.3.1.3.Measures aimed at improving the quality of agricultural production and products

5.3.1.3.1.Meeting standards based on Community legislation

  • list of standards based on Community legislation eligible for support under Article 31(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005, date from which each standard is mandatory in accordance with Community legislation and justification of choice,

  • description of the significant impact on farm operating costs stemming from the obligations or restrictions imposed by the new standard,

  • amount of support per eligible standard and methodology used to determine this amount.

5.3.1.3.2.Participation of farmers in food quality schemes

  • list of Community and national quality schemes eligible for support, including the list of products qualifying for support under the quality schemes chosen. For national schemes, description of the scheme regarding the criteria referred to in Article 22(2),

  • indication of the official authority or authorities responsible for the supervision of the functioning of the quality scheme and description of the organisational arrangements for the supervision,

  • amount of support per type of eligible scheme and justification of fixed costs.

5.3.1.3.3.Information and promotion activities

  • list of products qualifying for support under the quality scheme chosen under measure ‘Participation of farmers in food quality schemes’,

  • procedure for ensuring that actions benefiting from rural development support are not also supported under Regulation (EC) No 2826/2000,

  • procedure for ex ante checks on information, promotion, and advertising materials (Article 23(6) of this Regulation),

  • summary description of the type of eligible costs and rates of support.

5.3.1.4.Transitional measures for the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia

5.3.1.4.1.Supporting semi-subsistence agricultural holdings undergoing restructuring

  • definition of the semi-subsistence farm taking account of the minimum and/or maximum size of the farm, the proportion of production marketed, and/or the level of income of the eligible farm;

  • definition of the future economic viability;

  • summary of the requirements of the business plan;

  • amount and duration of support.

5.3.1.4.2.Setting up of producer groups

  • description of the official procedure for recognising the groups including selection criteria;

  • sectors concerned;

  • solely for Malta, indication of the sector or sectors benefiting from the derogation with the justification related to the extremely small total output, and the conditions of eligibility for the derogation: minimum percentage of the group’s production compared to total production in the sector, minimum number of producers in the sector who are members of the group;

  • solely for Malta, justification of annual amounts.