1. Each Member State shall designate a national managing authority for its CAP Strategic Plan.
Member States may, taking into account their constitutional and institutional provisions, designate regional managing authorities to be responsible for some or all of the tasks referred to in paragraph 2.
Member States shall ensure that the relevant management and control system has been set up in such a way that it ensures a clear allocation and separation of functions between the national managing authority and, where relevant, regional managing authorities and other bodies. Member States shall be responsible for ensuring that the system functions effectively throughout the CAP Strategic Plan period.
2. The managing authority shall be responsible for managing and implementing the CAP Strategic Plan in an efficient, effective and correct way. In particular, it shall ensure that:
(a)
there is an electronic information system as referred to in Article 130;
(b)
farmers, other beneficiaries and other bodies involved in the implementation of interventions:
(i)
are informed of their obligations resulting from the aid granted, and maintain either a separate accounting system or an adequate accounting code for all transactions relating to an operation, where relevant;
(ii)
are aware of the requirements concerning the provision of data to the managing authority and the recording of outputs and results;
(c)
the farmers and other beneficiaries concerned are provided, where appropriate by the use of electronic means, with clear and precise information on the statutory management requirements and the minimum GAEC standards established pursuant to Title III, Chapter I, Section 2, as well as on the requirements related to social conditionality established pursuant to Title III, Chapter I, Section 3, to be applied at farm level;
(d)
the ex-ante evaluation referred to in Article 139 conforms to the evaluation and monitoring system and is submitted to the Commission;
(e)
the evaluation plan referred to in Article 140(4) is in place and that the ex-post evaluations referred to in that Article are conducted within the time limits laid down in this Regulation, ensuring that such evaluations conform to the monitoring and evaluation system and that they are submitted to the monitoring committee and the Commission;
(f)
the monitoring committee is provided with the information and documents needed to monitor the implementation of the CAP Strategic Plan in the light of its specific objectives and priorities;
(g)
the annual performance report is drawn up, including aggregate monitoring tables, and, after the report has been submitted to the monitoring committee for opinion, is submitted to the Commission in accordance with Article 9(3), first subparagraph, point (b), of Regulation (EU) 2021/2116.
(h)
relevant follow-up actions on Commission’s observations on the annual performance reports are taken;
(i)
the paying agency receives all necessary information, in particular on the procedures operated and any controls carried out in relation to interventions selected for funding, before payments are authorised;
(j)
beneficiaries under interventions financed by the EAFRD, other than area- and animal-related interventions, acknowledge the financial support received, including the appropriate use of the Union emblem in accordance with the rules laid down by the Commission in accordance with paragraph 5;
(k)
publicity is made for the CAP Strategic Plan, including through the national CAP network, by informing:
(i)
potential beneficiaries, professional organisations, the economic and social partners, bodies involved in promoting equality between men and women, and the non-governmental organisations concerned, including environmental organisations, of the possibilities offered by the CAP Strategic Plan and the rules for gaining access to the CAP Strategic Plan funding; and
(ii)
farmers, other beneficiaries and the general public of the Union support for agriculture and rural development through the CAP Strategic Plan.
For support financed by the EAGF, as appropriate, Member States shall provide for the managing authority to use the visibility and communication tools and structures used by the EAFRD.
3. Where regional managing authorities referred to in paragraph 1, second subparagraph, are responsible for the tasks referred to in paragraph 2, the national managing authority shall ensure appropriate coordination between those authorities with a view to guaranteeing the coherence and consistency of the CAP Strategic Plan design and implementation.
4. The national managing authority or, where relevant, the regional managing authorities may delegate tasks to intermediate bodies. In that case, the delegating managing authority shall retain full responsibility for the efficiency and correctness of the management and implementation of those tasks and ensure that appropriate provisions are in place to allow the intermediate body to obtain all necessary data and information for the execution of those tasks.
5. The Commission may adopt implementing acts laying down uniform conditions for the application of the information, publicity and visibility requirements referred to in paragraph 2, points (j) and (k). Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 153(2).
1. Each Member State shall set up a national committee to monitor the implementation of the CAP Strategic Plan within three months of the date of notification to the Member State of the Commission implementing decision approving a CAP Strategic Plan.
Each monitoring committee shall adopt its rules of procedure, which shall include provisions on the coordination with regional monitoring committees when set up in accordance with paragraph 5, on the prevention of conflicts of interest and on the application of the principle of transparency.
The monitoring committee shall meet at least once a year and shall review all issues that affect the CAP Strategic Plan progress towards achieving its targets.
Each Member State shall publish the rules of procedure and the opinions of the monitoring committee.
2. Each Member State shall decide the composition of the monitoring committee and shall ensure a balanced representation of the relevant public authorities and intermediate bodies and of representatives of the partners referred to in Article 106(3).
Each member of the monitoring committee shall have a vote.
The Member State shall publish the list of the members of the monitoring committee online.
Representatives of the Commission shall participate in the work of the monitoring committee in an advisory capacity.
3. The monitoring committee shall examine in particular:
(a)
progress in CAP Strategic Plan implementation and in achieving the milestones and targets;
(b)
any issues that affect the performance of the CAP Strategic Plan and the actions taken to address those issues, including progress towards simplification and reduction of administrative burden for final beneficiaries;
(c)
the elements of the ex-ante assessment listed in Article 58(3) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 and the strategy document referred to in Article 59(1) of that Regulation;
(d)
progress made in carrying out evaluations, syntheses of evaluations and any follow-up given to findings;
(e)
relevant information related to the performance of the CAP Strategic Plan supplied by the national CAP network;
(f)
the implementation of communication and visibility actions;
(g)
administrative capacity building for public authorities and farmers and other beneficiaries, where relevant.
4. The monitoring committee shall give its opinion on:
(a)
the methodology and criteria used for the selection of operations;
(b)
the annual performance reports;
(c)
the evaluation plan and amendments thereof;
(d)
any proposal by the managing authority for an amendment of the CAP Strategic Plan.
5. Where elements are established at regional level, the Member State concerned may set up regional monitoring committees to monitor the implementation of the regional elements and provide the national monitoring committee with information in this respect. This Article shall apply to those regional monitoring committees mutatis mutandis as regards the elements established at regional level.
Technical assistance at the initiative of Member States
1. At the initiative of a Member State, the EAFRD may support actions which are necessary for the effective administration and implementation of support in relation to the CAP Strategic Plan, including establishing and operating the national CAP networks referred to in Article 126(1). The actions referred to in this paragraph may concern previous programming periods and subsequent CAP Strategic Plan periods.
2. Actions of the authority of the Lead Fund in accordance with Article 31(4), (5) and (6) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 may also be supported provided that LEADER involves support from the EAFRD.
3. Technical assistance at the initiative of Member States shall not finance certification bodies referred to in Article 12 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2116.
1. Each Member State shall establish a national network for the common agricultural policy (‘national CAP network’) for the networking of organisations and administrations, advisors, researchers and other innovation actors, and other actors in the field of agriculture and rural development at national level at the latest 12 months after the approval by the Commission of the CAP Strategic Plan. The national CAP networks shall build on the existing networking experience and practices in the Member States.
2. The Commission shall establish a European network for the common agricultural policy (‘European CAP network’) for the networking of national networks, organisations, and administrations in the field of agriculture and rural development at Union level.
3. Networking through the national and European CAP networks shall have the following objectives:
(a)
increase the involvement of all relevant stakeholders in the implementation of CAP Strategic Plans and, where relevant, in their design;
(b)
accompany the Member States’ administrations in the implementation of CAP Strategic Plans and the transition to a performance-based delivery model;
(c)
contribute to improving the quality of implementation of CAP Strategic Plans;
(d)
contribute to the information of the public and potential beneficiaries on the CAP and funding opportunities;
(e)
foster innovation in agriculture and rural development and support peer-to-peer learning and the inclusion of, and the interaction between, all stakeholders in the knowledge-exchange and knowledge-building process;
(f)
contribute to monitoring and evaluation capacity and activities;
(g)
contribute to the dissemination of CAP Strategic Plans results.
The objective set out in the first subparagraph, point (d), shall be addressed in particular through the national CAP networks.
4. The tasks of the national and European CAP networks for the achievement of the objectives set out in paragraph 3 shall be the following:
(a)
collection, analysis and dissemination of information on actions and good practices implemented or supported under CAP Strategic Plans as well as analysis on developments in agriculture and rural areas relevant to the specific objectives set out in Article 6(1) and (2);
(b)
contribution to capacity building for Member States administrations and of other actors involved in the implementation of CAP Strategic Plans, including as regards monitoring and evaluation processes;
(c)
creation of platforms, fora and events to facilitate exchanges of experience between stakeholders and peer-to-peer learning, including where relevant exchanges with networks in third countries;
(d)
collection of information and facilitation of its dissemination as well as networking of funded structures and projects, such as local action groups referred to in Article 33 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, EIP operational groups referred to in Article 127(3) of this Regulation and equivalent structures and projects;
(e)
support for cooperation projects between EIP operational groups referred to in Article 127(3) of this Regulation, local action groups referred to in Article 33 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 or similar local development structures, including transnational cooperation;
(f)
creation of links to other Union-funded strategies or networks;
(g)
contribution to the further development of the CAP and preparation of any subsequent CAP Strategic Plan period;
(h)
in the case of national CAP networks, participating in, and contributing to, the activities of the European CAP network;
(i)
in the case of the European CAP network, cooperating with, and contributing to, the activities of the national CAP networks.
5. The Commission shall adopt implementing acts setting out the organisational structure and operation of the European CAP network. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 153(2).
European Innovation Partnership for agricultural productivity and sustainability
1. The aim of the European Innovation Partnership for agricultural productivity and sustainability (EIP) shall be to stimulate innovation and improve the exchange of knowledge.
The EIP shall support the AKIS, by connecting policies and instruments to speed up innovation.
2. The EIP shall contribute to achieving the specific objectives set out in Article 6(1) and (2).
It shall in particular:
(a)
create added value by better linking research and farming practice and encouraging the wider use of available innovation measures;
(b)
connect innovation actors and projects;
(c)
promote the faster and wider transposition of innovative solutions into practice, including farmer-to-farmer exchange; and
(d)
inform the scientific community about the research needs of farming practice.
3. EIP operational groups supported under the cooperation type of intervention referred to in Article 77 shall form part of the EIP. Each EIP operational group shall draw up a plan for an innovative project to be developed or implemented. The innovative project shall be based on the interactive innovation model which has as key principles:
(a)
developing innovative solutions focusing on farmers’ or foresters’ needs while also tackling the interactions across the whole supply chain where useful;
(b)
bringing together partners with complementary knowledge such as farmers, advisors, researchers, enterprises or non-governmental organisations in a targeted combination as best suited to achieve the project objectives; and
(c)
co-deciding and co-creating all along the project.
EIP operational groups may act at transnational, including cross-border, level. The envisaged innovation may be based on new practices, but also on traditional practices in a new geographical or environmental context.
EIP operational groups shall disseminate a summary of their plans and of the results of their projects, in particular through the national and European CAP networks.
