Success of agri-environment schemes in conserving biodiversity: review of mid-term evaluation reports of selected member states on the rural development regulation

Authors

  • Katalin Balázs Szent István University, Institute of Environmental and Landscape Management, Department of Environmental Economics, 2103 Gödöllő, Páter K. u. 1.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56617/tl.4363

Keywords:

agri-environmental schemes, mid-term evaluation, biodiversity, monitoring

Abstract

Integration of environmental and biological diversity conservation considerations into agriculture is a fast developing priority in European agricultural policy. Agri-environment schemes (AESs) are the main vehicles to deliver this integrative approach at the moment. Member States’ mid-term rural development review reports (2003) and within that Member States’ response to the European Commission’s Common Evaluation Questions (CEQs), in particular, are seen as being the most recent official information source to get an overall picture on the status and environmental efficiency of AESs in contributing to biodiversity conservation. The objectives of this paper is to provide an overview of the results and quality levels of AES monitoring and evaluation with special regard to biodiversity conservation in some Member States (MS) and to summarise some best practice examples. It is concluded that Member States had short time so far to assess and quantify the environmental outcomes of agri-environmental (AE) measures of the 2000–2006 programming period. Overall, based on indirect assessments and some actual research there are signs of positive effects of AE measures on biodiversity but in many case these do not always fully meet the scientific criteria. More comprehensive environmental monitoring systems should be based on adequate scheme administration and procedures that also record aspects to be used as basis for environmental monitoring, proper monitoring data management system and techniques linked to planned and representative monitoring research and regular fieldwork.

Author Biography

  • Katalin Balázs, Szent István University, Institute of Environmental and Landscape Management, Department of Environmental Economics, 2103 Gödöllő, Páter K. u. 1.

    Balazs.Katalin@kti.szie.hu

References

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Published

2007-07-18

Issue

Section

Tanulmányok, eredeti közlemények

How to Cite

Success of agri-environment schemes in conserving biodiversity: review of mid-term evaluation reports of selected member states on the rural development regulation. (2007). JOURNAL OF LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY | TÁJÖKOLÓGIAI LAPOK , 5(1), 59-72. https://doi.org/10.56617/tl.4363

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