PPA - Pôdohospodárska platobná agentúra

The Agricultural Paying Agency (hereinafter referred to as “agency”) has been established pursuant to the act n° 473/2003 Coll. On the Agricultural Paying Agency, on support of business activities and amendment of some acts with effect of 01.12.2003

 

Currently, the agency implements programs and support schemes in the agricultural, food, forestry and fisheries field as well as in the rural development on the Slovak Republic territory by providing financial resources from the Slovak Republic state budget and from the EU funds in compliance with the legislation in force by course of law n° 543/2007 Coll. On the activity of the state administration authorities in providing support in the agriculture and rural development with effect from the 1.1.2008.

The accordance of the accreditation for the support provision from the EU funds was realised in compliance with the Commission regulation (EC) n° 1663/1995 of the 16.10.2006 by course of the Commission regulation (EC) n° 885/2006.

 

The rural development policy as part of the EU common agricultural policies serves to reach the sustainable rural development.

 

The rural development is supported by the European Community countries during the years 2007 – 2013 from the European agricultural fund for rural development (EAFRD), whereby pursue these aims:

•         Improving the environment and the countryside.

•         Quality of life in rural areas and diversification of the rural economy.

•         Implementation of the LEADER approach.

 

The program document for the drawing of the financial resources for EAFRD is the rural development program.

 

Among the Slovak Republic rural development program 2007 – 2013 priorities belong: improving the modernisation, innovation and effectiveness of the agricultural, food and forestry holdings, sustainingand protecting the country environmental values, preservation of the cultural heritage, creation of job opportunities, enhancing the professionalism of the rural population and the improvement of the quality of life in rural areas.

In order to improve the environment and the countryside, it is necessary to prevent water pollution and the degradation of soils by appropriate farming practices and preventive measures for the improvement of the countryside ecological stability, prevention of the decline of the sites of free living animals and plants as well as rare biotopes.

To improve the quality of life in the rural areas and sustain the occupancy of the rural areas, serve the supports of the creation of job opportunities, diversification of the economical activities as well as the renewal of the development of the villages infrastructure.

The SR rural development program 2007 – 2013 is limited to the Slovak Republic territory regions, which belongs to the objective “convergence”.

It concerns regions: West Slovakia (Nitra Trenčín and Trnava region), Central Slovakia (Banská Bystrica and Žilina region) and East Slovakia (Košice and Prešov region).

The Bratislava region is supported within “the other areas”. The measures 3. 4. 1. basic services and 3. 4. 2. Village renewal and development, development of amenities and services. It is not even covered by the measure 3. 1. Diversification into non-agricultural activities, within which, in compliance with the state aid schemes, are supported counties Bratislava II, III, IV, Malacky, Senec, Čuňovo, Jarovce and Rusovce.

The difference in the activities support within the convergence objective fields resides in a different financing rate of eligible expenses from the public resources.

 

The axis and measures serves for the realisation of the SR rural development 2007 – 2013 objectives.

 

Measure 1.1 Modernisation of agricultural holdings

Measure 1.2 Adding value to agricultural and forestry products

Measure 1.3 Infrastructure related to the development and adaptation of agriculture and forestry

Measure 1.4 Improving the economic value of forests

Measure 1.5 Producer groups

Measure 1.6 Vocational training and information actions

Measure 1.7 Use of advisory services

Measure 5.3.2.1 Natural handicaps payments in mountain areas and payments in other areas with handicaps

Measure 5.3.2.1.2 Natura 2000 payments and payments linked to Directive 2000/60/EC

Measure 5.3.2.1.3 Agri-environmental payments

Measure 5.3.2.1.4 Animal welfare payments

Measure 5.3.2.2.1 first afforestation of agricultural land

Measure 5.3.2.2.2 Natura 2000 payments – forestry land

Measure 5.3.2.2.3 Forest – environment payments

Measure 5.3.2.2.4 Restoring forestry potential and introducing prevention actions

Measure 3.1 Diversification into non-agricultural activities

Measure 3.2 Encouragement of rural tourism activities

Measure 3.3 Training and information

Measure 3.4.1 Basic services for the rural inhabitants

Measure 3.4.2 Village renewal and development, development of amenities and services

Measure 3.5 Skill acquisition, animation and implementation of local development strategies

Measure 4.1 Implementation of integrated local development strategies

Measure 4.2 Implementation of cooperation projects

Measure 4.3 Running the local action group

Besides the rural development programme, the agency also implements the SR FOP 2007 – 2013 (hereinafter referred to as FOP)

FOP provides great opportunities to all potential recipients who are pisciculturists, processors of fishery products and aquaculture.

The FOP is relevant to areas out of the convergence objective and to the areas out of convergence objective in compliance with the Council regulation (EC) n° 1198/2006 of 27 July 2006 on the European Fisheries Fund within the SR conditions, NUTS III areas with a GDP per inhabitant measured by the parity of the purchasing power and calculated on the basis of the Community data for the period 2000 – 2002 which is less than 75% in the EU25 fall under the convergence objective.

In order to fulfil the FOP objective to reach a sustainable and competitivefisheries sector, a public grant for the period 2007 – 2013 has been grantedto the Slovak Republic.

The public grant is composed of the European Fisheries Fund and the SR state budget covers the priority axis and within which the measures:

 

 

 

The state aid is within the agricultural branch granted to enterprises operating in agriculture, food, forestry and fisheries as subsidies, subsidisedservices and goods. It basically concerns support measures for small and medium undertakings.

The basic frame for the state aid granting is the primary and secondary legislation of the European Community to the legal system of the Slovak Republic approximated by the Regulation of the Slovak Republic government n° 369/2007 Coll. of the 8 ^th of august 2007 on certain support measures in the agriculture as amended by later regulations.

The state aid contains a new element in the support granting which consists in non granting financial payments directly to farmers but indirectly through subsidised services and goods. The next element is the motivational element, which consists in reimbursing to the farmers only those charges which ensued after the receipt of the application, its examination, approval and contract completion. This element is not applied in case the compensatory payments in relation with the loss of animals, fish, agricultural crops and forest vesture because of natural catastrophes, unfavourable wind events, or measures declared by the civil service bodies.

Moreover, the motivational element is not applicable in the case of support measures for the compensation of charges for the prevention and eradication of animal and plant diseases or pest contaminations.

Grant titles in compliance with the Government Regulation n° 369/2007 Coll. on certain support measures in agriculture as amended by later regulations. 

 

 

 Subsidies appellation according to the MA SR rescript no.1438/2007-100 of 20. June 2007 on the grant of subsidies for the preservation of historic substantial horses genetic resources and for the racing activity

 

 

 

 

Slovak farmers can each year apply for direct supports. Conditions for the granting of direct supports are pursuant to the EU and SR legislation.

Direct payments are disbursed from the SR state budget and are refunded from the EU budget; additional direct payments are paid off from the SR state budget.

All information, legislation, forms and manuals to be filled in are published in the APA web page www.apa.sk within the part “direct supports section”.

 1. FROM THE EUROPEAN AGRICULTURAL GUARANTEE FUND (EAGF)

a)      Single area payment scheme

b)      Payment for energy crops

c)      Individual payment for sugar

d)      Individual payment for fruit and vegetable

e)      Transitional payment for tomatoes

 

a)      Compensating allowance for the less favoured areas (LFA)

b)      Agri-environmental payments

c)      Payment on the territory of the European interest

d)      Payment for the animal welfare measure

e)      Payment for the first afforestation of the agricultural land

f)        Forest and environmental payments

g)      Support for forest parcels on territories of European interest

 

a)      Crop support on arable soil (SAS)

b)      Support for chosen tobacco varieties

c)      Support for hop

d)      Support for big livestock unit (BLS)

 

 

in compliance with the SR Government regulation n° 81/2007 Coll. of the 31^st January 2007 on the conditions of administering support in agriculture by means of single area payment, it is granted on an agricultural land area used by one applicant and conducted in the register of land blocks and parts of land blocks with an acreage of at least 1 hectare which can correspondto more continuous parts of one culture soil block (arable soil, permanent crops, gardens, permanent grass lands) with an acreage of at least 0, 3% hectares. This area surface would have to be by the 30. 6. 2003 under cultivation and kept in good agricultural and environmental conditions (annex n° 1 of the SR government regulation Coll. of the 31^st January 2007).

 

in compliance with the SR Government regulation n° 158/2007 Coll. of 14^th March 2007 on the conditions of administering support in agriculture by means of the cultivation of energetic crops, it is granted to an applicant with a surface of energetic crops with an acreage of at least 0,3 ha of agricultural land in one part of land block. Energetic crops are any crops which are used in the generation of products for energetic purposes and for which the applicant has a concluded contract with the firstprocessor or purchaser of energetic crops by having being registered in the list of approved operators (processors). AS tariff rate of 45 Euros/ha is guaranteed for the whole EU for a maximum surface of 2 million ha.

 

in compliance with the SR Government regulation n° 82/2007 Coll. of the 31^st January 2007 on the conditions of administering support in agriculture by means of individual payment for sugar is granted according to the acreage of agricultural parcels on which was grown sugar-beet within the year 2005. In case the applicant did not submit an application on the individual area payment in the year 2005, the agricultural measurement size is defined as a part of the sugar- beet quantity mentioned in the contract of the economic year 2005/2006 and the reference yield 50t/ha.

 

in compliance with the SR Government regulation n° 151/2008 Coll. of 16^th April 2007 on the conditions of administering support as transitional payments on tomatoes and individual payment on fruit and vegetable which is granted to the applicant according to the acreage of fruit and vegetables which was mentioned in the year 2007 within the annex of the single application and the list of agricultural parcels.

 

is paid to the applicants in compliance with the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak republic No. 151/2008 of the 16^th April 2008 about conditions for support payments in agriculture in forms of transitional payment for tomatoes and special payment for the fruits and vegetable. The support is paid to the applicant according to the acreage of the grown tomatoes, at most according to the acreage stated in the contract with the accredited manufacturer. After the harvest the applicant is obliged to supply the first manufacturer with the quantity of tomatoes reaching at least the quantity which equals to the multiple of the tomato acreage and minimum harvest 20 tons per ha.

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are paid to the applicants in compliance with the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak republic No. 160/2008 of the 16^th April 2008 about conditions of selection of the applications coming under the measure for paying agro-environmental supports and about the conditions for paying supports for the measures focused at the sustainable land use and stock breeding and preservation of the species in danger or races being farmed in the area of Slovakia in the long run. The agro-environmental measure is focused at realization of the agricultural production processes compatible with the protection and improvement of the environment, country and natural resources.

It is possible to administer the agro-environmental payment to the applicant in case of the areas or livestock falls in this measure and the applicant is obliged to farm the whole acreage of the farm in compliance with good agricultural and environmental conditions after taking trainings targeted at the correct observing and realization of the obligations of the measure within the end of the second year of meeting of the obligation has started, observes the duties (at most 1,6 livestock per 1 ha of the farm area under cultivation or at least 0,3 livestock or horses) referring to 1ha of permanent pastures of the agro-environmental obligation, observes the requests concerning the fertilization, administering and preserving the records of the quantity, sort and time of use of the fertilizers according to the plot and crops in compliance with the special prescription and meets the conditions of the water protection against the nitrate pollution caused by the agricultural resources and observes the requests of plant protection fixtures application including the detailed records of the consumption and application of the fixtures for the protection of plants and storage conditions and handling the fixtures for the protection of plants, and does not use the sediments from the sewage tanks and bottom sediments at whole acreage of the area laid under obligation and farms in compliance with the given requests at the whole acreage of the agricultural enterprise. The applicant can apply for the transformation of the obligation from the period of 2004-2006 into RDP 2007-2013.

 

are paid in compliance with the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak republic No. 147/2008 of the 16^th April 2008 about conditions of administering payments for the areas of the European significance at agricultural land, the applicants are provided with the payments in case of farming at the permanent pastures of the areas of European significance at the 4^th or the 5^th degree of protection. The application can be made by the applicant carrying out the agricultural activities at the area of the acreage of at least 1 ha of the agricultural land within the area of European significance registered within the land blocks and units of the land blocks within the class of permanent pasture. This acreage may consists of the several continuous units of the land blocks with the acreage of at least 0,3 ha farmed by the single applicant observing the good agricultural and environmental conditions and giving the declaration on the word of honour to perform the agricultural activities within the area of European significance for at least for 5 years since the 1^st payment. The task of this measure is to help the solution of the specific handicap resulting from the implementation of the NATURA 2000.

 

are paid in compliance with the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 155/2008 of the 16^th April 2008 about conditions of administering payments for the measure “living conditions” in accordance with the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 245/2008 of the Coll. of the 23^rd May 2007 about conditions for selection of the applications falling under the measure concerning the animal welfare. The applicant has to carry out the agricultural activities, to observe good agricultural and environmental conditions and essential requests of farming and to commit himself by the word of honour to observe the five-year long obligation and having registered stock animals in compliance with the §1, section 2, letter b) –d) in the Central Register of the animals he provides for the accredited training of the employee, and accredited trainings focused at special care of animals for the employees coming under the sub measure in compliance with §1, section 2, letter b) and point 2, letter c) and d). The objective of the support is to compensate the agricultural costs related to the stock raising methods improving the welfare of the animals.

The supports are paid to the applicants in compliance with the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 150/2008 of the 16^th April 2008 about conditions of administering payments for the first foresting of the agricultural land. The smallest supported continuous land equals to the acreage of 0, 5 ha and maximum supported acreage for one applicant equals no more than 10 ha. It is planned to support the foresting of 600ha of the agricultural land. The payments for the first foresting are paid for the agricultural land registered in land blocks and units of the land blocks, the land used for agricultural purposes for 2 previous years and the credit code of the soil-ecology unit falls into the 6^th –9^th rank. It is possible to apply for payments for founding of the forest at the farmland, for keeping forest land, and payment for the compensation of the loss of income following the finishing of the agricultural activities.

 

The supports are paid to the applicants in compliance with the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 152/2008 of the 16^th April 2008 about conditions of administering woodcraft-environmentalpayments for registered forest land. This measure covers 2 sub-measures. The sub-measure “The maintenance of the favourable status of the forest biotope” is possible to realize at the forest areas within the protected bird territories with the location of the nests of the endangered species of birds indicated by the State Protection of the Nature of the Slovak Republic, at the forest territories in case of their falling under the areas of European significance declared as protected territory or the zone of protected territory not included in the 5^th degree of protection and the forest territories not included into continuous European scheme of protected territories. The endangered species of birds are listed in the §3, sec. 3, of the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 152/2008 of the 16^th April 2008 about conditions of administering woodcraft-environmentalpayments. It is possible to implement the sub-measure “The protection of the biotope of the selected species of birds” at the forest territories within the declared protected bird territories with the location of the bird nests zonated by the State Protection of the Nature of the Slovak Republic. It is planned to support 310thosands ha of the forest land.

 

The support is paid to the owner of the forest land of the acreage that equals at least 1ha enlisted in the register of forest land, who is obliged to meet the conditions of the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 146/2008 of the 16^th April 2008 about conditions of administering payments for the areas of the European significance at forest land for 5 year period. The forest land enlisted in the register of the forest land has to be situated within the area of European significance at the 5^th degree of protection where the intervention into forest vegetation and damage of the soil vegetation cover is forbidden. The special conditions defined by the authority for protection of the nature allowing the intervention into forest land and damage of the soil vegetation cover exclude the applicants from setting up a claim for support. It is planned to support 30 ha of forest lands within the areas of the European significance of the 5^th degree of protection.

 

The supports are paid to the applicants for the crops on arable land in compliance with the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 159/2008 of the 14^th March 2007 about conditions for support payments in agriculture in forms of supplementary national direct payments referred to the plant production as amended. The payment provided for the area of the acreage not less than 0,3 ha shall be paid till the 31^st May of calendar year.

 

is provided for in compliance with the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 159/2008 of the 14^th March 2007 about conditions for support payments in agriculture in forms of supplementary national direct payments referred to the plant production. The supports are paid to the applicants for the hop enlisted in the register of land blocks and units of the land blocks until 31^st December 2006, reaching the acreage of at least 0,3 ha. In case the acreage claimed in the appeal for payment overlaps 305,13 ha, the payment is directly proportionally reduced according to the acreage overlapped.

 

The supports for the types of tobacco Virginia and Burley dependant of the quotas till 31^st December 2006 are paid to the applicants in compliance with the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 159/2008 of the 14^th March 2007 about conditions for support payments in agriculture in forms of supplementary national direct payments referred to the plant production as amended.

Payments for livestock units (VDJ)

The supports are provided for to the applicant in compliance with the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 266/2007 of the 6^th June 2007 about conditions for support payments in agriculture in forms of supplementary national direct payments referred to livestock units as amended, for at least for 1 livestock unit in case of the animals claimed in the application are breeded for at lest for 3 months since the 30^th June of calendar year. The payment includes calf under 6 months, bovine animals from 6 to 24 months, bulls, oxen and heifers over 24 months, suckler-cows over 24 months, sheep, goats over 12 months and individual reference quantity of milk.

 

It is possible to provide supports for the common market organization measures aimed at market organization with plant and animal commodities and support of export in frames of Common Agricultural Policy.

 

 

Market Mechanism – export refunds for agricultural and Non Annex products

Plant Commodities – the organization of the market with plant commodities

The payment of supports in frames of trade mechanisms (export refunds) is preceded by granting export licences and advance fixing certificates and accepting financial securities.

 

- which mean export refunds for basic agricultural products. The aim is to balance the higher level of prices within the Community and the lower level of the world market. The biggest capacity of export with the export refund is represented by 1-day chickens and deep-frozen poultry.

 

- means the export refunds for basic products and their components derived from the basic components of the agricultural products not falling under the measures of the Common Agricultural Policy including substantial quantities of agricultural components (so called basic products). The group of Non Annex 1 products includes a large scale of products from chocolate, baby’s nutrition, pastry, sweets and candy, soft drinks to some alcoholic beverages and modified starch. The biggest capacity of export is represented by export of chocolate and whipped cream in sprays.

 

 

Buying, storage, sale (cereals, sugar) – the instrument for regulation of internal market of the EU member states with selected products from plant commodities (cereals, sugar) with specified intervention price equal in whole EU. The interventions are not realized nowadays.

 

Production refunds (for the sugar used in chemical industry, in cereal and rice segment) – serve as the support for non alimentary use of the sugar and other products in the sugar sector, first of all processing of the sugar in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Production refunds equals to zero at this time.

- mean supports for the beet growers and sugar producers for the purpose of reduction of quotas or closing sugar factory.

- are assigned to growers of potatoes for starch production with the signed delivery contracts with processing plant.

They mean premiums for starch producers who have a signed delivery contracts with potato growers.

- is paid to authorized processing undertakings for dried fodder made from own production or production of other producers.

Support for hop for recognized market organizations of producers and individual growers

- is paid to recognized market organizations of producers and individual growers for registered and harvested areas.

 

Supports of the group of producers, supports for operational programme, supports for the processors of tomatoes and peaches

- are not directly granted to individual growers, but to registered organizations of producers.

- concerns the variety transformation including re-grafting, re-location of vineyards and improvement of techniques of administration of vineyards on the basis of the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 185/2008.

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Slovak Republic worked out drafts of the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic on conditions of granting supports for measures of the CMO for vine.

- is established for the use of grapes, must and concentrated grape must and rectified concentrated grape must produced in the Community for grape juice production and for use of concentrated grape must and rectified concentrated grape must to increase the natural alcoholic strength by volume of the wine products.

It means that wine producers are obliged to deliver marcs, wine and lees for distillation to the authorised distiller.

Every producer who has the signed contract on storage with APA is entitled for the support in case of observing obligation of not put into circulation of the products subject to the contract.

 

Buying, storage, sale (butter, milk powder, beef) – tools of the regulation of the internal market of the Community and for selected commodities of animal origin (butter, milk powder, beef) with the amount of intervention fixed in advance. The interventions are not realized nowadays.

 

It means support for consumption of milk and milk products for school children (compulsory school attendance) according to the special rule. The support shall be provided for the milk subjected to a process of heat treatment.

 

It means indirect support of consumption of butter or cream used in manufacturing of the final food product.

 

It serves for the use of skimmed milk powder in manufacturing of milk fodder.

 

Support for purchase of butter by non-profit organisations for the home consumption.

Private storage of milk products, butter, cream, cheeses, pig-meat, beef, sheep meat and goat meat

The support is intended for the storage of the above mentioned commodities in the own or hired store-houses (not in the store–house owned by the APA). Up to now there was only one contract on private storage of pig meat signed by the APA.

 

It is dedicated to producers of the concentrated butter for immediate consumption within Community (restaurants, hotels, hospitals, etc.) under condition the butter has not been the subject of intervention or storage.

 

Support of executing measures for improvement of conditions for the production and marketing of apiculture product

Support is dedicated to beekeepers applying for support through the nation-wide civil association operating within the scope of bee rearing and apiculture in the Slovak Republic.