Aid for advisory services
Article 22
1. Aid for advisory services shall be compatible with the internal market within the meaning of Article 107(3), point (c), of the Treaty and shall be exempted from the notification requirement of Article 108(3) thereof where it fulfils the conditions laid down in this Article and in Chapter I of this Regulation. 2. The aid shall be designed to help undertakings active in the agricultural sector and young farmers benefit from the use of advisory services. Member States shall ensure that actions supported under this Article are consistent with the description of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) provided in the CAP Strategic Plan. 3. The advice shall be linked to at least one specific objective specified in Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 and shall cover at least one of the following: (a) obligations deriving from the statutory management requirements and GAEC standards established under Title III, Chapter I, Section 2, of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115; (b) the requirements laid down by Member States to implement Directive 2000/60/EC, Directive 92/43/EEC, Directive 2009/147/EC, Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 36 ) , Directive (EU) 2016/2284 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 37 ) , Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 38 ) , Article 55 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 39 ) and Directive 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 40 ) ; (c) farm practices preventing the development of antimicrobial resistance as referred to in the Communication ‘A European One Health Action Plan against Antimicrobial Resistance’ ( 41 ) ; (d) risk prevention and management; (e) modernisation, strengthening competitiveness, sectoral integration, market orientation and promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation, in particular for preparing and implementing EIP Operational Group projects; (f) digital technologies in agriculture as referred to in Article 114, point (b), of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115; (g) sustainable management of nutrients, including, at the latest as from 2024, use of a Farm Sustainability Tool for Nutrients, as referred to in Article 15(4) of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115; (h) conditions of employment and employer obligations as well as occupational health and safety and social support in agricultural communities; (i) sustainable production of feed, evaluation of feed in terms of nutrient content and feed values, documentation, planning and control of the feeding of farm animals based on needs. 4. Advice may also cover issues, other than those referred to in paragraph 3, linked to the economic and environmental performance of the agricultural holding including competitiveness aspects. This may include advice for the development of short supply chains, organic farming, the saving of sustainable energy, energy efficiency and the production and use of renewable energy for agriculture, increasing biodiversity or biodiversity performance and health aspects of animal husbandry. 5. The aid shall take the form of a subsidised service. 6. The bodies selected to provide the advisory service shall have the appropriate resources in the form of regularly trained and qualified staff and advisory experience and reliability with respect to the fields in which they advise. The provision of advisory service may be undertaken by producer groups or other organisations, regardless of their size. Member States shall ensure that the provider of the advisory service is impartial and has no conflict of interest. 7. The aid shall be accessible to all eligible undertakings in the area concerned, based on objectively defined conditions. Where the provision of advisory services is undertaken by producer groups and organisations, membership of such groups or organisations shall not be a condition for access to the service. Any contribution of non-members towards the administrative costs of the group or organisation concerned shall be limited to the costs of providing the advisory service. 8. The amount of aid shall be limited to 100 % of the eligible costs up to EUR 25 000 (except those under paragraph 4) per period of three years, for advice provided by service providers to a single beneficiary active in the primary agricultural production. 9. The amount of aid shall be limited to 100 % of the eligible costs up to EUR 200 000 (except those under paragraph 4) per three years, for advice provided by service providers to a single beneficiary active in the processing and marketing of agricultural products.