TAIEX Worskshop on Agricultural Extension Services in EU
Sources of funding the activities of agricultural advisory services in
EU Member States - Italy
25-26 February 2016
Kiev-Ukraine
Sonia Marongiu
CREA – Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economics Analysis
Rome
Unit: Policy and Bioeconomy
GENERAL FRAMEWORK
In Italy, Extension and Advisory Services are a part of the Agricultural Knowledge Information
System (AKIS)
Higher
Education
Research
and
Developm
ent
Extension
and
Advisory
Services
Agricultural Knowledge
Information System
AKIS is supported mainly by public sources. The role of
private sources is less relevant and difficult to assess because
there are not official statistics.
Higher Education: National responsibility  Financed by the
Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR)
Research & Development: National and Regional responsibility
 Financed by MIUR and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Forestry Policies (MIPAAF).
Some research activities are funded, managed and carried out
also by other national Ministries that support studies on topics
related to their core mission (i.e. food safety, human health, etc.):
Ministry of Health, Ministry for Economic Development, Ministry
of Environment and Land Protection.
GENERAL FRAMEWORK
THE NATIONAL RESEARCH BODIES ARE GROUPED IN THREE DIFFERENT STRUCTURES:
•
University: funded and supervised by the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR)
•
National Research Council (CNR): funded and supervised by MIUR. CNR carry out research on all
fields of knowledge, included agriculture. It has also a role of research manager. The planning,
coordination and control activities managed by the Agrifood Department of CNR are performed in
20 Institutes, spread over the territory, involving almost one thousand researchers.
•
Public Research Insitute: funded by MIPAAF (CREA, ISMEA the most important one)
The 19 Regions and 2 Autonomous Provinces (Bolzano and Trento) fund agricultural research either
directly or indirectly. Some Regions have their own research structures (i.e. Piemonte, Emilia
Romagna, Abruzzo, Sicilia and Sardegna); other have their own research programs implemented
through national structures (Universities or other public institution) situated in their territory.
Some examples of local research centers are: CRPA – Research Center for Animal Production, CRPV –
Research Center for Vegetable Production (Emilia Romagna), Research Institute of San Michele
all’Adige (Trento), Laimburg Research Center for Agriculture and forestry (Bolzano).
In 2008 the agricultural research public funding has been equal to
•
103 millions of € from MIUR
•
279 millions of € from MIPAAF
(excluding the ordinary financing covering the fixed cost of the Italian research system).
GENERAL FRAMEWORK
In Italy, Extension and Advisory Services are a part of the Agricultural Knowledge Information
System (AKIS)
Extension and Advisory Service: the service
has a public and a private component.
Higher
Education
Research
and
Developm
ent
Extension
and
Advisory
Services
Agricultural Knowledge
Information System
The public one is managed by the Regions
since 1977. The consequence is that there are
21 different organizations. All the Regions
have their own legislation and allocate funds
to different organization, indipendently from
each other.
Funds: National, Regional but EU funds
(especially for Advisors).
In more recent years the extension and
advisory policy has become more connected
with the objectives of the Common
Agricultural Policy (CAP), in particular with
regard to cross-compliance, rural animation,
diversification, environmental impact, farm
competitiveness.
HOW FAS IS FUNDED IN ITALY?
In Italy, the Farm Advisory System depends from different funding sources:
1.
European funding (mainly EAFRD, European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development)
2.
Regional or provincial funding (decentralization): as concern the global contribution (regional
and european) to the public funding EARFD of RD plans, the contribution is equal to a minimum
of 44% of public expenditure for the RD plans in the «competitiveness» regions and a minimum
of 57% in the «convergence» regions. Then there are other fundings for regional bodies or
entities.
3.
Private fundings: other organizations or farmers
The first important Regulation (Reg.(EEC) 270/79) was issued whithin the Mediterranean package:
it sustained the development of agricultural advisory services in Italy thanks to 66 Million ECUs
over 12 years.
The funds was used to:
•
general organization of CIDA
•
training of advisors in CIFDA
•
salaries for advisors (expert in specialized agriculture and diversification).
During 90s: Farm Advisory System has been supported by the Multiregional Operating
Programmes (Reg. (EEC) 2052/88)
During the period 2000-2006: the European Commission cut down the funds generally assigned
to the development services. Many Regions did not replace them with their own funds, assuring
only the activities of the public structures and the basic services. As a consequence, services’ supply
was drastically reduced. In this period the Regions invested 350 millions € globally in extension
systems (half of the total invested in the previous 5 years).
HOW FAS IS FUNDED IN ITALY? RD PROGRAMMING PERIOD 2007-2013
The institution of the Farm Advisory System (Reg. EC 1782/2003) and the implementation in the
RD programming period 2007-2013 (EARFD) gave new impetus to the use of advisory services
(Measure 114) and to their setting up (Measure 115).
Directly: Measure 114 (the most important tool used in Italy to finance FAS), M115 and M111
(vocational training)
Indirectly: M124 (cooperation), M331 (training in rural areas)
Organization of advisory service
Basic package of advice:
Advanced package of advice:
Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs)
and Good Agricultural and Evironmental
Conditions (GAECs)
SMRs+GAECs+innovation, ICT, suppport for the
trade of products, participation in quality
systems
and
certification,
landscape
conservation, energy saving, energy production
from renowable source, etc.
Selection of beneficiaries: identification of priorities to access to the FAS
•
Young or female farmers
•
Organic farmers or farms in marginal or Nature 2000 areas
•
Farms in Nitrogen Vulnerable Zones
•
Environmental issues or animal pathologies
•
Integration of M114 in a package dedicated to single farmer or in integrated partnership
projects
HOW FAS IS FUNDED IN ITALY? RD PROGRAMMING PERIOD 2007-2013
FAS in Italy reflects the complexity of the regional organisation of agriculture advisory services.
The regions are responsible for setting up the FAS and consequently there are 21 regional FAS (19
Regions and 2 Autonomous Provinces). Many Regions have used Measure 111 to complement M114 and
M115 in order to reach different aims and beneficiaries
•
17+1 Regions (Valle d’Aosta started in 2010) funded their FAS through M114
•
regional FAS are funded through the use EAFRD measures (including Measure 114, 115 and 111)
•
3 regional FAS use different resources (regional/provincial or national funds): Trento, Bolzano, Friuli
Venezia Giulia do not use RDPs funds for various reasons (they have regional advisory services and
focus the RDP funds on a few measures to avoid bureaucracy or give advice for free).
Regions
Measures
Abruzzo, Emilia Romagna, Liguria, Marche, Molise,
Sardegna, Toscana, Veneto, Umbria, Basilicata, Puglia,
Sicilia
114 and 111
PA Bolzano
111 and 115
PA Trento, Friuli Venezia Giulia
111
Lombardia, Piemonte, Calabria, Campania
111, 114 and 115
Valle d’Aosta (in 2010)
114
Measure 114 and 115 
Farm Advisory Service (use
and setting up)
Many Regions used Measure
111 (vocational training) to
complemento
other
measures to reach different
beneficiaries.
FAS advisors were entities
and not individual people:
the accreditation procedure
was defined by the Region
ont eh basis of competency
and reliability.
HOW FAS IS FUNDED IN ITALY? RD PROGRAMMING PERIOD 2007-2013
Financial resources for Measures 111, 114 and 115 in Italian RD plans 2007-2013 (INEA Yearbook 2008)
111 (a)
114 (b)
115 (c )
other
Public
Public
private
Public
funding EAFRD
funding
EAFRD
funding
funding
EAFRD
Piemonte
Valle d'Aosta
Lombardia
P.A. Bolzano
P.A. Trento
Veneto
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Liguria
Emilia-Romagna
Toscana
Umbria
Marche
Lazio
Abruzzo
Molise
Campania
Puglia
Basilicata
Calabria
Sicilia
Sardegna
Total
61,795
4,815
18,908
9,020
5,179
65,909
10,630
14,514
84,091
45,000
19,747
18,83
73,931
41,268
6,000
24,998
75,000
17,822
41,000
90,000
70,000
other
private
funding
% 114/
(a+b+c)
27,190
2,118
8,093
3,969
1,813
29,000
4,677
5,080
37,000
19,800
8,689
8,285
32,530
18,158
2,640
14,374
43,125
10,248
23,575
39,456
30,800
24,773
15,509
13,636
1,371
11,677
15,000
9,418
7,950
18,483
4,952
2,000
32,513
35,000
15,000
8,000
11,520
15,000
10,900
6,638
6,000
480
5,138
6,600
4,144
3,498
8,132
2,179
880
18,695
20,125
8,625
4,600
5,050
6,600
6,193
3,877
3,409
343
2,926
3,750
2,355
3,916
4,621
1,238
500
8,128
8,750
3,750
2,000
2,88
7,000
1,227
320
686
7,921
1,232
9,514
9,000
-
540
141
240
3,485
542
5,471
5,175
-
80
457
1,980
6,343
-
32
0
49
0
0
20
0
9
14
28
28
36
22
12
28
49
35
49
16
13
22
779,627 370,620
241,802
118,284
62,756
29,900
15,594
8,860
26
HOW FAS IS FUNDED IN ITALY? RD PROGRAMMING PERIOD 2007-2013
Planned expenditure (EAFRD is included)
Declared expenditure (EAFRD is included)
300,000,000
140,000,000
250,000,000
120,000,000
100,000,000
200,000,000
80,000,000
150,000,000
60,000,000
100,000,000
40,000,000
50,000,000
20,000,000
0
0
Measure 114
Measure 111
Measure 115
Measure 114
Financial execution (EAFRD is included)
100.0
90.0
90.3
80.0
70.0
62.5
60.0
50.0
40.0
36.1
30.0
20.8
20.0
10.0
0.0
0.1
1.1
3.0
Measure 114
8.6
Measure 111
Measure 115
Measure 111
Measure 115
The planned expenditure for the Measures have been
remodulated during the time because of the difficulties
experencied by the Administration in the implementation:
M114 (-73%) and M115 (-79%). M111 has changed for a
smaller amount (-27%)
The financial execution has increased in the last 2 year (2014
and 2015). At the end of programming period (2013) the
financial execution of M114 was less then 50% while at the
end the percentage reached more than 90%.
Financial
execution=
expenditure
declared
expenditure/planned
HOW FAS IS FUNDED IN ITALY? RD PROGRAMMING PERIOD 2007-2013
Advanced Report on Measure 114 in Italy (RD period 2007-2013; October 2015, €)
Financial Plan
Expenditure declaration
Financial
Public
execution
funding
EARFD
Public funding
EARFD
(%)
Piemonte
9,772,727
4,300,000
9,225,585 4,057,892
94.4
Valle d'Aosta
140,000
61,600
61,019
26,848
43.6
Lombardia
13,700
6,124
13,700
6,124
100.0
PA Bolzano
0
0
0
0
PA Trento
0
0
0
0
Veneto
13,636,364
6,000,000
13,626,405 5,995,082
99.9
Friuli Venezia Giulia
0
0
0
0
Liguria
424,124
148,443
419,624
146,868
98.9
Emilia Romagna
6,652,954
2,927,300
6,614,175 2,910,149
99.4
Toscana
25,933,714
11,410,834
23,912,771 10,521,619
92.2
Umbria
218,432
96,110
18,480
8,131
8.5
Marche
283,234
124,623
169,068
74,390
59.7
Lazio
866,788
388,495
940,988
422,485
108.6
Abruzzo
482,157
220,539
479,925
219,518
99.5
Molise
1,999,875
880,000
0
0
0.0
Campania
982,518
602,087
534,516
327,552
54.4
Puglia
3,514,783
2,021,000
3,105,306 1,785,551
88.3
Basilicata
40,000
24,800
0
0
0.0
Calabria
102,580
61,557
61,059
36,636
59.5
Sicilia
343,362
152,246
306,322
135,823
89.2
Sardegna
850,000
374,000
323,339
142,269
38.0
Measure 114
66,257,312
29,799,758
59,812,282 26,816,937
90.3
M114: Use of Advisory Services
The programming expenditure
has been remodulated and the
funds spent in 2007-2013 period
are lower than what was initially
planned, especially in some
Regions:
•
Molise and Basilicata reset
the funds
•
Umbria (8.5%)
•
Valle
d’Aosta,
Marche,
Campania, Calabria, Sardegna
between 38 and 60%
•
Other Regions have reached
more than 90% of financial
execution
HOW FAS IS FUNDED IN ITALY? RD PROGRAMMING PERIOD 2007-2013
Advanced Report on Measure 111 in Italy (RD period 2007-2013; October 2015, €)
Financial Plan
Expenditure declaration
Financial
Public
execution
funding
EARFD
Public funding
EARFD
(%)
Piemonte
47,361,361
21,279,040
44,310,797 19,796,131
93.6
Valle d'Aosta
0
0
0
0
Lombardia
7,244,143
3,225,614
6,692,932 2,979,223
92.4
PA Bolzano
1,398,444
616,000
905,020
398,460
PA Trento
3,322,040
1,162,714
3,321,746 1,162,611
Veneto
17,068,182
7,510,000
15,537,234 6,836,377
91.0
Friuli Venezia Giulia
0
0
0
0
Liguria
2,020,053
707,019
1,532,873
536,505
75.9
Emilia Romagna
14,000,693
6,160,306
13,950,692 6,136,685
99.6
Toscana
3,800,000
1,672,000
1,800,252
792,111
47.4
Umbria
11,650,886
5,126,390
9,984,028 4,392,972
85.7
Marche
7,391,305
3,252,174
4,078,335 1,794,468
55.2
Lazio
4,029,878
1,806,191
2,631,336 1,180,489
65.3
Abruzzo
2,844,001
1,300,846
2,645,412 1,209,989
93.0
Molise
210,987
92,840
162,000
71,280
76.8
Campania
7,732,637
4,738,560
4,517,222 2,768,154
58.4
Puglia
10,078,123
5,794,921
8,930,686 5,135,145
88.6
Basilicata
1,883,619
1,149,853
1,371,843
815,132
72.8
Calabria
5,524,565
3,315,209
4,021,134 2,412,680
72.8
Sicilia
6,402,606
2,838,916
4,686,862 2,078,155
73.2
Sardegna
1,637,740
720,605
184,412
81,141
11.3
Measure 111
155,601,263
72,469,198
131,264,817 60,577,708
84.4
M111-Vocational Training and
information actions.
The financial execution is more
than
85%
in
Piemonte,
Lombardia,
Veneto,
Emilia
Romagna, Abruzzo, Umbria,
Puglia.
In
Liguria,
Lazio,
Molise,
Basilicata, Calabria and Sicilia is
included between 60 and 85%.
Lower in the other Regions and
very lower in Sardegna.
HOW FAS IS FUNDED IN ITALY? RD PROGRAMMING PERIOD 2007-2013
Advanced Report on Measure 115 in Italy (RD period 2007-2013; October 2015, €)
Financial Plan
Expenditure declaration
Financial
Public
execution
funding
EARFD
Public funding
EARFD
(%)
Piemonte
Valle d'Aosta
Lombardia
187,593
82,241
187,593
82,241
100.0
PA Bolzano
400,065
176,224
342,023
150,705
85.5
PA Trento
Veneto
Friuli Venezia Giulia
Liguria
Emilia Romagna
Toscana
Umbria
Marche
Lazio
82,698
37,065
27,313
12,256
33.0
Abruzzo
Molise
Campania
1,679,450
1,029,167
1,480,167
907,046
88.1
Puglia
Basilicata
Calabria
3,178,619
1,907,440
2,002,577 1,201,546
63.0
Sicilia
Sardegna
Measure 115
5,528,425
3,232,137
4,039,673 2,353,794
73.1
Measure 115: Set up for advisory
services has been applied only in
5 Regions and the financial
execution has been, on average,
equal to 73%.
HOW FAS IS FUNDED IN ITALY? RD PROGRAMMING PERIOD 2007-2013
Planned expenditure (EAFRD is included)
250,000,000
Declared expenditure (EAFRD is included)
140000000
120000000
200,000,000
100000000
150,000,000
80000000
60000000
100,000,000
40000000
50,000,000
20000000
0
0
Measure 124
Measure 331
Financial execution (EAFRD is included)
80
70
Measure 124
Measure 331
The framework of Agricultural Knowledge System includes
two other measures
• Measure 124: Cooperation for development of new
products, processes and technologies in the agriculture and
food sector (advisory has been supplied in the support of
cooperation initiatives)
60
50
40
30
• Measure 331: Training and information for economic
actors operating in rural areas (training activities).
20
10
0
Measure 124
Measure 331
OTHER FUNDS
In 2004-2007 a National law (L. 499/1999) financed an Interregional Program regarding the
agricultural development services with the aim to
•
provide training for the agricultural extension technicians on the main topics dealing with
the rural development policy
•
test new models, methodologies and instruments improving the agricultural extension
services (information, training and advisory in rural areas), following a multiregional
approach for the different activities.
The overall cost was 5 millions € and involved directly all the Regions.
During the period 2003-2009, 11 Interregional Research Projects were realized covering 11
topics (vegetable proteins, seeds, fruit farming, organic animal husbandry, olive growing,
horticulture, flower growing, grassland and animal husbandy, cereal farming, no food
productions, wine growing).
FUNDS FOR FAS IN THE NEXT PROGRAMMING PERIOD 2014-2020
In the next programming period 2014-2020 the Agricultural Knowledge and Information System
(Higher Education + Research + Development and Extension) will be organized in a more
systematic way through the integration of different interventions:
Support of human capital
•
Measure 111: Vocational Training
•
Measure 112: Setting up of young farmers
•
Measure 331: Training and information in rural areas
Farm Advisory Services
•
Measure 114: Use of advisory services
•
Measure 115: Setting up of Farm Advisory Services
Cooperation for innovation (European Innovation Partnership – EIP)
AKIS will be involved in all the rural development interventions, in particular in those carried out
to improve the sustainability and competitiveness of agriculture and forestry.
What does it means?
The transfer of knowledge and the dissemination activities will be a cross-cutting issues. It implyes
a reorganization of the AKIS and its integration in the research and innovation activities of
agriculture and forestry sector. The aim is to implement a Knowledge System in rural areas going
beyond the agricultural sector.
FUNDS FOR FAS IN THE NEXT PROGRAMMING PERIOD 2014-2020
Art. 15 - Advisory Services, farm management and farm relief services (M2)
RD programming period 2014-2020
Total public
∆
Nr. Beneficiaries
expenditure (2.1 to M114+M115 (M114+M11
advised
2.3)
5) - M2
Abruzzo
3,423
5,150,000
4,952,000
4.0
Basilicata
1,653
3,801,652
15,000,000
-74.7
Calabria
13,596
18,647,100
17,000,000
9.7
Campania
2,655
14,000,000
42,027,000
-66.7
Emilia Romagna
9,618
8,436,808
11,677,000
-27.7
Friuli Venezia Giulia
4,330
6,900,000
0
100
Lazio
1,500
12,793,082
19,715,000
-35.1
Liguria
1,413
2,740,000
2,057,000
33.2
Lombardia
25,585
45,000,000
15,509,000
190.2
Marche
2,500
5,000,000
7,950,000
-37.1
Molise
1,866
8,000,000
2,000,000
300.0
Piemonte
22,000
34,000,000
26,000,000
30.8
Bolzano
nd
nd
320,000
Trento
834
1,250,000
0
100
Puglia
15,000
33,000,000
35,000,000
-5.7
Sardegna
8,792
16,000,000
15,000,000
6.7
Sicilia
1,728
7,200,000
11,520,000
-37.5
Toscana
13,970
38,000,000
15,000,000
153.3
Umbria
4,890
19,300,000
17,339,000
11.3
Valle d'Aosta
396
600,000
0
100
Veneto
23,346
36,873,840
13,636,000
170.4
Total
159,095
316,692,482
271,702,000
16.6
Italian Rural Development Plans
RDP period 2014-2020: planned
resources in the Italian Regions
for Advisory Services
•
Higher amount than in the
previous period (+16.6%)
•
Almost
160,000
beneficiaries advised
•
Only
the
Autonomous
Province of Bolzano does
not apply for Measure 2
•
Almost all the Italian
Regions have destined more
resources than in the
previous
programming
period
•
Basilicata and Campania
have drastically reduced the
funds for advisory services.
Thanks for your attention