What non-natural factors are behind the underuse of EU CAP funds in areas with valuable habitats?

Abstract

While the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (EU CAP) is being redefined, natural habitats, treated as wasteland for many years, are becoming a crucial element in the promotion of environmentally-friendly management of farmland and the protection of biodiversity and the local cultural landscape. The aim of the study is to assess the effectiveness of the uptake of certain environmental CAP funds and to describe the factors behind the spatial differentiation of the uptake of these funds. Both natural and non-natural conditions are taken into account. The analysis is conducted for Poland, a country engaged in reform of the agricultural economy, which has sizeable areas of habitats of high value for nature and which represents a region of Europe in need of special public support for environmental improvement. The research procedure consisted of the following four main stages: (1) spatial delimitation of grasslands (taking into account their territorial rank and quality) and (2) the level of utilisation of funds under specific Agri-Environmental and Climate Schemes (AECSs), (3) determining the relationships – types and (4) identifying the causes of disproportions, taking into account selected non-natural conditions. Apart from indicator methods, use is made of spatial typology and spatial autocorrelation methods (global and local Moran I coefficients). The results of the analysis show the decisive influence of natural and environmental conditions on the amount of funds expended through AECSs. However, the study has also identified situations where non-natural factors come to the fore. Among the non-natural conditions, a key role is played by historical factors. The study has identified areas with untapped environmental potential and those where environmental farming measures are underutilised given the environmental potential of those areas. The situation described is detrimental to the effectiveness of support, which is contrary to CAP principles. The findings are important in the context of monitoring and evaluating the EU’s agricultural policies, which should take more account of the characteristics of the individual countries, including their natural regional and local specificities.