ÖPUL 2023 Special Directive (including eco-schemes)

The Agri-environmental Programme ÖPUL 2023 is part of the implementation of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy in Austria. Its basis is the Strategic Plan approved by the European Commission and to be financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) (CAP Strategic Plan Austria 2023-2027).

Eco-schemes (Article 31), agri-environment-climate commitments and animal welfare commitments (Article 70) as well as payments under Natura 2000 and the Water Framework Directive (Article 72) of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 are implemented here. Effectiveness: 2023 to 2028.

ÖPUL 2023 is a key instrument of agricultural policy and regional development in Austria and it is already the sixth Agri-environmental Programme since EU accession in 1995.

ÖPUL 2023 has been effectively offered to participating holdings as from 1 January 2023 and offers twenty-five measures, most of which are offered in all nine Federal Provinces. Thus, voluntary participation is in principle possible for every agricultural enterprise in Austria - under the condition that the prerequisites for participating are met and funding obligations are fulfilled.

ÖPUL 2023 (excluding eco-schemes) is approx. 50 % financed from EU funds (eco-schemes are 100 % EU-funded) and approx. 50 % from national funds. The national tranche is divided between the Federal Government and the Provinces in a proportion of 60/40. In sum, 574 million euros (average 2023 to 2027, including 100 million euros for eco-schemes) are earmarked annually for ÖPUL 2023. Like the predecessor programmes it pursues the objective of Austria-wide greening and the area-wide approach for arable land, grassland and permanent crops.

What ÖPUL stands for

The Agri-environmental Programme ÖPUL, Austria’s programme for the promotion of an agricultural system that is environmentally sound, extensive and protective of natural habitats, supports the environmentally benign management of agricultural areas. As early as in 1995 Austria adopted an approach which offers a horizontal and integral national agri-environmental programme with a broad spectrum of measures. The objective pursued is the largely area-wide participation of Austrian farmers.

The legal basis of the programme is a special national directive (“Sonderrichtlinie”) which is implemented on a private administration basis and which includes the general eligibility criteria and the specific eligibility criteria for the individual measures.

Objectives of ÖPUL 2023

At present, domestic agriculture must reconcile the conflicting demands of a competitive production on globalised agricultural markets on the one hand and the demands which society places in ecologically sustainable production in Austria on the other hand. In accordance with the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union, the focus of the Austrian agricultural policy is on safeguarding the environmental performance of agriculture for the long term. The measures offered under ÖPUL aim at counteracting the two central trends in Austrian land management: Abandonment of utilisation and intensified utilisation. Farmers are compensated for additional environmental services they provide by participating in the Agri-environmental Programme.

In accordance with the objectives of the CAP Strategic Plan, ÖPUL sets the following objectives:

• to improve farmers’ position in the value chain;
• to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and to promote sustainable energy;
• to foster sustainable development and efficient management of natural resources such as water, soil and air;
• to contribute to halting and reversing biodiversity loss, to enhance ecosystem services and preserve habitats and landscapes;
• to improve the response of EU agriculture to societal demands on food and health, including safe and nutritious food produced in a sustainable way, to reduce food waste and improve animal welfare.

In the CAP Strategic Plan, the following technical needs were derived from the SWOT (strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats) analysis.

• Increasing product differentiation
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in agricultural production and in rural areas
• Optimising the carbon sink capacities in agriculture and forestry
• Increasing resilience and adaptation to climate change
• Maintenance and expansion of site-appropriate husbandry
• Improving the protection of surface water and groundwater protection
• Maintaining the quality and improving the condition of the soil and of soil fertility
• Maintaining the quantity of soil as a basis of production
• Reduction of air pollutants from agricultural sources
• Preservation of the cultivated landscape, protection of biodiversity and prevention of biodiversity loss through site-appropriate agricultural and forestry utilisation
• Safeguarding the genetic diversity in agriculture and forestry
• Improvement of poor conservation statuses as well as protection, preservation and restoration of species and habitats valuable for nature conservation
• Promoting the consideration of area-specific aspects to achieve the biodiversity goals
• Studies and practice-related monitoring and projects to improve data bases on biodiversity
• Improvement of animal welfare
• Ensuring high food safety

The needs analysis has clearly shown the necessity for the increased implementation of environmentally and climate compatible agriculture.

In sum, ÖPUL 2023 therefore not only serves the maintenance of area-wide agriculture and of the cultivated landscape, but also promotes the sustainable development of rural areas and meets the growing demand for environmental services in society.

Eligibility criteria and administration

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Regions and Water Management (BML) is responsible for the development of the legal framework and the principles of ÖPUL. The legal implementation is based on the Ordinance establishing rules for the application of the CAP Strategic Plans (“GAP-Strategieplan-Anwendungsverordnung”) and the national “special directive” (“Sonderrichtlinie”).

AgrarMarkt Austria (AMA) has been entrusted with the organisational aspects. It provides information and documents on application, correct implementation and subject-specific content (e.g. information sheets on each ÖPUL measure on the internet). It accepts the applications for participation. It also decides about the granting of payments, checks compliance with the eligibility criteria and, in case of infringements, determines the sanctions for the individual holdings.

The Chambers of Agriculture are involved in the implementation and offer assistance with the application, targeted advice and courses.

Where ÖPUL measures are tightly linked to nature conservation also the nature conservation and agricultural authorities of the Federal Provinces are involved.

General contents of the ÖPUL Special Directive:

Scope of application
Legal basis
Objectives and reference to the needs analysis
Applicants for funding
Definitions
General eligibility criteria (e.g. minimum farm size, eligibility of areas)
Compliance with funding obligations (commitment period and contract period and others)
Type and scale of the grant
Administration
Control and audits
Recovery
Data processing
Reports
Prohibition of assignment, transfer, pledging and other disposal
Publication and information
Subjective right
General framework directives
Jurisdiction
Entry into force and applicability

The 25 measures in ÖPUL 2023

1. Environmentally sound and biodiversity-promoting management
2. Organic farming
3. Limitation of yield-increasing inputs
4. Hay farming
5. Management of mountain meadows
6. Preservation of endangered livestock breeds
7. Greening of arable land - catch crops
8. Greening of arable land - “Evergreen” system
9. Erosion control arable land
10. Near-ground application of liquid farm manure and manure separation
11. Erosion control in vineyards, fruit and hops
12. Non-use of herbicides in vineyards, fruit and hops
13. Non-use of insecticides in vineyards, fruit and hops
14. Use of beneficial organisms in greenhouses
15. Alpine pasturage
16. Animal welfare - herding
17. Preventive groundwater protection - arable land
18. Humus preservation and soil protection on grassland eligible for conversion
19. Nature conservation
20. Results-oriented management
21. Animal welfare - pasture
22. Animal welfare - indoor-keeping
23. Animal welfare - pig keeping
24. Natura 2000 and other protected areas - agriculture
25. Water Framework Directive - agriculture

For some measures, the Special Directive contains further, detailed regulations.

Information on ÖPUL

Current information on the application and management of individual measures or on fundamental issues can be found on the homepage of Agrarmarkt Austria (AMA). AMA also offers an ÖPUL Newsletter.

Farmers get personal advice at the Chambers of Agriculture.

The offices of the Provincial Governments, too, offer information documents, both regarding agriculture and nature conservation.

In addition, specific information on individual ÖPUL measures is available:

For the measure “Preservation of endangered livestock” on the platform ÖNGENE (Austrian National Association for Genetic Reserves) and with Arche Austria.

For the measures "Environmentally sound and biodiversity-promoting management" and "Organic farming” with the sub-measure “Rare agricultural crops” (rare, regionally valuable agricultural crops) on the homepage of AGES.