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Good practice Imported

Slovakia's Agri-Environment-Climate Measure (AEKO) — CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027

Slovakia · Bratislava · See the Slovakia profile · See the Bratislava profile

Evidence: Descriptive / self-reported Top 47% 47/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Slovakia's 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan pays farmers via the Agri-Environment-Climate Measure (AEKO) and a companion eco-scheme for grassland, organic and biodiversity commitments — €641.8M earmarked, with real 2023 uptake of 1.53M ha, but no independent outcome evaluation yet.

641.78 EUR million
AEKO public funding envelope, 2023-2027 (2023-2027)
559.16 EUR million
Companion eco-scheme budget (2023-2027)
9,449 applicants (57.6% of applicants)
Eco-scheme applicants enrolled, 2023 (2023)
1,533,292 hectares (88.3% of area applied)
Eco-scheme area enrolled, 2023 (2023)
-99 % decline by 2022
Grey partridge population decline (to 2022)

Details

Maturity
Scaling
Promoter
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic / Agricultural Paying Agency (PPA)
Period
2023-2027 (predecessor agri-environment commitments running since 2014)
Region (NUTS)
SK01
Keywords
agri-environment-climate, grassland conservation, organic farming, biodiversity protection, Natura 2000, CAP Strategic Plan

Context

Slovakia's Agri-Environment-Climate Measure (AEKO) operates under Article 70 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 as part of the country's 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan. It is managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic and paid out by the Agricultural Paying Agency (PPA) in Bratislava.

Objectives

Support organic farming, precise fertilisation and water-resource protection, environment-friendly arable/orchard/vineyard management, biodiversity protection, grassing of arable land, breeding of endangered livestock breeds, forest-environmental services, and animal welfare.

Activities

AEKO carries EUR641.78 million in public funding (EUR406.7M EU + EUR235.1M national) for 2023-2027. A companion eco-scheme, worth EUR559.16 million, recorded real 2023 uptake: of 16,417 applicants covering 1,736,758 hectares, 9,449 applicants (57.6%) enrolled 1,533,292 hectares (88.3%) at payment rates of roughly EUR59/ha outside protected bird areas and EUR92/ha within them.

Results

Forward result-indicator targets include habitat/biodiversity-preservation commitments on 50.94% of relevant agricultural area and management of 10.67% of Slovakia's total Natura 2000 area.

Conclusions

The European Commission's May 2022 observation letter on Slovakia's draft plan flagged that AEC baseline definitions needed sharper precision and that using a single average payment rate across several distinct management commitments "does not seem justifiable." No published figures were found for hectares actually enrolled in the core AEKO measure itself, as distinct from the adjacent eco-scheme. Independent monitoring by the NGO SOS/BirdLife Slovensko documents severe farmland-biodiversity declines that motivated the scheme's redesign — grey partridge numbers down 99% by 2022 — and argues that even the redesigned protected-area payment rate (~EUR92/ha) remains insufficiently valued relative to the land-use restrictions it imposes.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Very high (> €5M) — AEKO carries EUR641.78 million in public funding (EUR406.7M EU + EUR235.1M national) for 2023-2027; the companion eco-scheme, worth EUR559.16 million, paid roughly EUR59/ha (outside protected bird areas) to EUR92/ha (within them) in 2023.
Time to results
Long (> 3 years) — Current CAP Strategic Plan period runs 2023-2027, building on predecessor agri-environment commitments running since 2014.
Staffing & skills
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic (policy), Agricultural Paying Agency (PPA), Bratislava (payments and administration), Independent NGO monitoring: SOS/BirdLife Slovensko

Conditions for success

  • EU co-financing under a defined regulatory framework (Article 70, Regulation 2021/2115)
  • Clear result-indicator targets for habitat and Natura 2000 management
  • Differentiated payment rates by ecological zone (protected bird areas vs. outside)

Common failure modes

  • The European Commission's own 2022 observation letter found AEC baseline definitions imprecise and a single average payment rate across distinct commitments 'not justifiable'
  • No published hectare figures for the core AEKO measure itself, separate from the adjacent eco-scheme, limits transparency
  • Independent NGO monitoring (SOS/BirdLife Slovensko) documents severe farmland-biodiversity declines (e.g. grey partridge down 99% by 2022) that motivated the redesign, and argues even redesigned payment rates remain insufficient relative to the land-use restrictions imposed

Where it fits

Governance type
EU-co-financed national CAP Strategic Plan measure
Scale
national (Slovakia)
Income level
high-income (EU member state)

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes

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Data sources

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