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. 2023 May 6;52(8):1327–1338. doi: 10.1007/s13280-023-01861-0

Table 2.

Comparison of cross-compliance and greening obligations in the 2014–2020 CAP and conditionality requirements in the 2023–2027 CAP

2014–2020 CAP 2023–2027 CAP
SMR
SMR

Same SMR

 + 

New SMR related to the Water Directive, the Drinking Water Directive, the Framework for the sustainable use of pesticides, the Plant Protection Products Regulation, the Directive and Regulation on veterinary medicinal products

GAEC and greening measures (GM)
Climate change
GM 2: Maintenance of permanent grassland according to the ratio of permanent grassland to agricultural area (decline limited to 5% max.) GAEC 1: Same requirements except i) new reference year (2018 instead of 2012) and ii) inclusion of organic farmers who were previously exempted
GAEC 2: New; appropriate protection of wetland and peatland
GAEC 6: Interdiction of burning arable stubble except for plant health reasons GAEC 3: Same requirements
Water
GAEC 1: Establishment of buffer strips along water courses GAEC 4: Same requirements (ban on nutrients’ and pesticides’ uses integrated in the GAEC text)
GAEC 2: Compliance with authorisation procedures where irrigation is subject to authorisation
GAEC 3: Protection of groundwater against pollution
Soil protection and quality
GAEC 5: Tillage management in order to reduce the soil degradation GAEC 5: Same requirements
GAEC 4: Minimum soil cover GAEC 6: No bare soil in most sensitive periods
GM 1: Minimal crop diversity on arable areas with three exemptions (small farms of less than 10 ha, organic farms, farms essentially in grass or rice); notions defined in EU Regulation 1307/2013 GAEC 7: Crop rotation or equivalent practices, including through crop diversity; possibility to define the rotation at the scale of the crop year (main crop/intermediate crop); same exemptions; notions to be defined in national strategic plans (NSP)
Biodiversity and landscapes

GAEC 7: Maintenance of landscape figures; interdiction of cutting trees and hedges during the breeding and nesting season of birds

GM 3: Implantation of EFA on at least 5% of the arable land area

GAEC 8: Establishment of non-productive EFA on at least 4% of the arable land area (option 1) or on at least 7% if the MS decides to include productive elements (catch crops, nitrogen-fixing crops) with then at least 3% on non-productive elements (option 2); reduction of the requirement of the first option to 3% of arable land if the farmer enrolled in an eco-scheme agrees to increase the area allocated to non-productive areas to 7% or more
GM 2: In Natura 2000 zones, ban on ploughing or converting permanent grassland GAEC 9: Same requirements

Source Adapted from EC (2017), Matthews (2018), Dupraz and Guyomard (2019), EC (2021a), Official Journal of the EU (2021). The table defines the correspondences between GAEC of the 2023–2027 CAP (right column) and GAEC and GM of the 2014–2020 CAP (left column)