COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY (CAP)

Farmers are wary of planting trees in fields because they deprive them of productive surface. The “greening” of the new CAP means that trees are now “welcome” elements in the rural landscape, so they could be established if financial incentives are given. Such an incentive was the agroforestry measure of Pillar II of the previous CAP periods, which financed the establishment of new agroforestry systems on arable land. Unfortunately, this measure was not implemented in Greece, and the new CAP 2023-27 does not provide for a similar measure. However, trees are included for the first time in the “landscape characteristics” of Pillar I in the enhanced conditionality and there is a specific ecological scheme entitled “Improvement of agroforestry systems rich in landscape elements”. These provisions constitute important incentives for the maintenance of already existing trees, particularly in the arable land of hilly and mountainous areas. In parallel, the establishment of new agroforestry systems should be brought back in Pillar Ii in the next programming period of the CAP.