### in accordance with article 168 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union , the member states remain responsible for the organisation and delivery of their healthcare . as such , it is appropriate to limit the scope of union rules to those aspects of hta that relate to the clinical assessment of a health technology , and in particular , to ensure that the assessment conclusions are confined to findings relating to the comparative effectiveness of a health technology . the outcome of such assessments should not therefore affect the discretion of member states in relation to subsequent decisions on pricing and reimbursement of health technologies , including the fixing of criteria for such pricing and reimbursement which may depend on both clinical and non - clinical considerations , and which remain solely a matter of national competence . ### in accordance with article 168 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union , the member states remain responsible for the organisation and delivery of their healthcare . as such , it is appropriate to limit the scope of union rules to those aspects of hta that relate to the clinical assessment of a health technology . in this connection , the joint clinical assessment provided for by the regulation , which will be mandatory for members states , constitutes a scientific analyses of the relatives effects of healthy technology on clinical outcomes , evaluated in relation to the chosen comparative indicators and chosen groups or subgroups of paints , taking into account the hta core model criteria . this will include consideration of the degree of certainty on the relative outcomes , based on the available evidence . the outcome of such joint clinical assessments should not therefore affect the discretion of member states in relation to subsequent decisions on pricing and reimbursement of health technologies , including the fixing of criteria for such pricing and reimbursement which may depend on both clinical and non - clinical considerations , and which remain solely a matter of national competence .


### a coordination group composed of representatives from member states ' health technology assessment authorities and bodies should be established with responsibility for overseeing the carrying out of joint clinical assessments and other joint work . ### a coordination group composed of representatives from member states ' health technology assessment of national and regional authorities and bodies should be established with responsibility for overseeing the carrying out of joint clinical assessments and other joint work .


### in order to ensure a member - state led approach to joint clinical assessments and scientific consultations , member states should designate national hta authorities and bodies which inform decision - making as members of the coordination group . the designated authorities and bodies should ensure an appropriately high level of representation in the coordination group and technical expertise in its sub - groups , taking into account the need to provide expertise on the hta of medicinal products and medical devices . ### in order to ensure a member - state led approach to joint clinical assessments and scientific consultations , member states should designate national hta authorities and bodies which inform decision - making as members of the coordination group . the designated authorities and research bodies should ensure an appropriately high level of representation in the coordination group and technical expertise in its sub - groups , taking into account the need to provide expertise on the hta of medicinal products and medical devices .


### in order that the harmonised procedures fulfil their internal market objective , member states should be required to take full account of the results of joint clinical assessments and not repeat those assessments . compliance with this obligation does not prevent member states from carrying out non - clinical assessments on the same health technology , or from drawing conclusions on the added value of the technologies concerned as part of national appraisal processes which may consider clinical as well as non - clinical data and criteria . it also does not prevent member states from forming their own recommendations or decisions on pricing or reimbursement . ### in order to meet their internal market objectives , increase clinical evaluation efficiency , contribute to sustainability of healthcare systems and maximize the quality of innovation , member states should be required to take full account of joint clinical assessment results . compliance with this obligation does not prevent member states from carrying out non - clinical assessments on the same health technology , or from drawing conclusions on the added value of the technologies concerned as part of national appraisal processes which may consider clinical as well as non - clinical data and criteria . it also does not prevent member states from forming their own recommendations or decisions on pricing or reimbursement .


### in order to ensure the inclusiveness and transparency of the joint work , the coordination group should engage and consult widely with interested parties and stakeholders . however , in order to preserve the integrity of the joint work , rules should be developed to ensure the independence and impartiality of the joint work and ensure that such consultation does not give rise to any conflicts of interest . ### in order to ensure the inclusiveness and transparency of the joint work , the coordination group should engage and consult widely with interested parties and stakeholders . however , in order to preserve the integrity of the joint work , rules should be developed to ensure the independence and impartiality of the joint work and ensure that such consultation does not give rise to any conflicts of interest . furthermore , these rules and all consultations must be made public .


### in order to ensure a uniform approach to the joint work provided for in this regulation , implementing powers should be conferred on the commission to establish a common procedural and methodological framework for clinical assessments , procedures for joint clinical assessments and procedures for joint scientific consultations . where appropriate , distinct rules should be developed for medicinal products and medical devices . in the development of such rules , the commission should take into account the results of the work already undertaken in the eunethta joint actions . it should also take into account initiatives on hta funded through the horizon 2020 research programme , as well as regional initiatives on hta such as the beneluxa and valletta declaration initiatives . those powers should be exercised in accordance with regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council . 13 _________________ 13 regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council of 16 february 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by the member states of the commission ' s exercise of implementing powers . ### in order to ensure a uniform approach to the joint work provided for in this regulation , implementing powers should be conferred on the commission to establish a common procedural and methodological framework for clinical assessments , procedures for joint clinical assessments and procedures for joint scientific consultations . where appropriate , distinct rules should be developed for medicinal products and medical devices . in the development of such rules , the commission should take into account the results of the work already undertaken in the eunethta joint actions and in particular the methodological guidelines and evidence submission template . it should also take into account initiatives on hta funded through the horizon 2020 research programme , as well as regional initiatives on hta . the procedural and methodological framework are updated at the frequency deemed necessary by the commission to ensure that they should be adapted to the evolution of science . in developing the methodological framework , the commission should consider the specificity and corresponding challenges of certain types of health technologies , advanced therapies or life - prolonging therapies where innovative clinical study designs may be required . these may result in evidential uncertainty at the time of the marketing authorization . as such innovative clinical study designs are often accepted for the purposes of regulatory assessments , the methodology for joint clinical assessments should not prevent these health technologies from reaching patients . the commission should therefore ensure that the methodology provides for a sufficient level of flexibility to enable an adequate assessment of such health technologies . such flexibility should include the acceptance of the best available scientific evidence at the time of the submission , including , for instance , data from case control studies , real world evidence , as well as the acceptance of indirect treatment comparators . those powers should be exercised in accordance with regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council . 13 _________________ 13 regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council of 16 february 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by the member states of the commission ' s exercise of implementing powers .


### in order to ensure a uniform approach to the joint work provided for in this regulation , implementing powers should be conferred on the commission to establish a common procedural and methodological framework for clinical assessments , procedures for joint clinical assessments and procedures for joint scientific consultations . where appropriate , distinct rules should be developed for medicinal products and medical devices . in the development of such rules , the commission should take into account the results of the work already undertaken in the eunethta joint actions . it should also take into account initiatives on hta funded through the horizon 2020 research programme , as well as regional initiatives on hta such as the beneluxa and valletta declaration initiatives . those powers should be exercised in accordance with regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council . 13 _________________ 13 regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council of 16 february 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by the member states of the commission ' s exercise of implementing powers . ### in order to ensure a uniform approach to the joint work provided for in this regulation , the coordination group together with the commission should establish a common procedural and methodological framework for clinical assessments , procedures for joint clinical assessments and procedures for joint scientific consultations . where appropriate , distinct rules should be developed for medicinal products and medical devices . in the development of such rules , the coordination group and the commission should take into account the results of the work already undertaken in the eunethta joint actions . it should also take into account initiatives on hta funded through the horizon 2020 research programme , as well as regional initiatives on hta such as the beneluxa and valletta declaration initiatives . those powers should be exercised in accordance with regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council . 13 _________________ 13 regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council of 16 february 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by the member states of the commission ' s exercise of implementing powers .


### in order to ensure that this regulation is fully operational and to adapt it to technical and scientific development , the power to adopt acts in accordance with article 290 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union should be delegated to the commission in respect of the contents of documents to be submitted , reports , and summary reports of clinical assessments , the contents of documents for requests , and reports of joint scientific consultations , and the rules for selecting stakeholders . it is of particular importance that the commission carries out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work , including at expert level , and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the interinstitutional agreement on better law - making of 13 april 2016 . 14 in particular , to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts , the european parliament and the council should receive all documents at the same time as member states ' experts , and their experts systematically should be granted access to meetings of commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts . _________________ 14 interinstitutional agreement between the european parliament , the council of the european union and the european commission of 13 april 2016 on better law - making . ### in order to ensure that this regulation is fully operational and to adapt it to technical and scientific development , the power to adopt acts in accordance with article 290 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union should be delegated to the commission in respect of the contents of documents to be submitted , reports , and summary reports of clinical assessments , the contents of documents for requests , and reports of joint scientific consultations , and the rules for selecting stakeholders , but with the obligation to periodically inform the european parliament and the council of these documents and reports . it is of particular importance that the commission carries out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work , including at expert level , and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the interinstitutional agreement on better law - making of 13 april 2016 . 14 in particular , to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts , the european parliament and the council should receive all documents at the same time as member states ' experts , and their experts systematically should be granted access to meetings of commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts . _________________ 14 interinstitutional agreement between the european parliament , the council of the european union and the european commission of 13 april 2016 on better law - making .


### in order to facilitate the joint work and the exchange of information between member states on hta , provision should be made for the establishment of an it platform that contains appropriate databases and secure channels for communication . the commission should also ensure a link between the it platform and other data infrastructures relevant for the purposes of hta such as registries of real world data . ### in order to facilitate the joint work and the exchange of information between member states on hta , provision should be made for the establishment of an it platform that contains appropriate databases and secure channels for communication . the commission should also ensure a link between the it platform and other data infrastructures relevant for the purposes of hta such as registries of real world data . the it platform should ensure the publication and transparency for both the joint scientific consultations and the joint technology assessment , regarding all the clinical data employed , the studies , the methodology , the clinical results , the stakeholders consulted , the observations made , and the final reports .


### the commission should carry out an evaluation of this regulation . pursuant to paragraph 22 of the interinstitutional agreement on better law - making of 13 april 2016 , that evaluation should be based on the five criteria of efficiency , effectiveness , relevance , coherence and eu added value and should be supported by a monitoring programme . ### the commission should carry out an evaluation of this regulation . pursuant to paragraph 22 of the interinstitutional agreement on better law - making of 13 april 2016 , that evaluation should be based on the five criteria of efficiency , effectiveness , relevance , coherence and eu added value and should be supported by a monitoring programme . the results must also be communicated to the european parliament and council for approval .


### this regulation establishes : ### taking into account the results of the work already undertaken in the eunethta joint actions , this regulation establishes :


### member states shall designate their national authorities and bodies responsible for health technology assessment as members of the coordination group and its sub - groups and inform the commission thereof and of any subsequent changes . member states may designate more than one authority or body responsible for health technology assessment as members of the coordination group and one or more of its sub - groups . ### member states shall designate their national authorities and bodies responsible for health technology assessment which inform decision - making as members of the coordination group and its sub - groups and inform the commission thereof and of any subsequent changes . member states shall designate more than one authority or body responsible for health technology assessment which inform decision - making at national level as members of the coordination group and one or more of its sub - groups .


### members of the coordination group , and their appointed representatives shall respect the principles of independence , impartiality , and confidentiality . ### members of the coordination group , and their appointed representatives shall respect the principles of transparency , independence , impartiality , and confidentiality for specific information .


### the commission shall publish a list of the designated members of the coordination group and its sub - groups on the it platform referred to in article 27 . ### the commission shall publish a list of the designated members of the coordination group and its sub - groups on the it platform referred to in article 27 . the commission shall regularly update any changes to this list or related information to the coordination group .


### ensure cooperation with relevant union level bodies to facilitate additional evidence generation necessary for its work ; ### ensure cooperation with all relevant union level bodies to facilitate additional evidence generation necessary for its work ;


### ensure appropriate involvement of stakeholders in its work ; ### ensure appropriate involvement of all relevant stakeholders in its work ;


### the coordination group shall initiate joint clinical assessments of health technologies on the basis of its annual work programme by designating a sub - group to oversee the preparation of the joint clinical assessment report on behalf of the coordination group . ### the coordination group shall initiate joint clinical assessments of health technologies on the basis of its annual work programme by designating a sub - group to oversee the preparation of the joint clinical assessment report on behalf of the coordination group . with respect to medicinal products , the coordination group shall initiate joint clinical assessments in accordance with the ema pre - notification of medicinal products prior to marketing authorisation applications .


### the designated sub - group shall request relevant health technology developers to submit documentation containing the information , data and evidence necessary for the joint clinical assessment . ### the designated sub - group shall meet with relevant health technology developers on the scope of the assessment and documentation containing the information , data and evidence necessary for the joint clinical assessment to be submitted .


### an analysis of the relative effects of the health technology being assessed on the patient - relevant health outcomes chosen for the assessment ; ### a description of the relative effects of the health technology being assessed on the patient - relevant health outcomes agreed for the assessment ;


### the designated sub - group shall ensure that stakeholders , including patients and clinical experts , are given an opportunity to provide comments during the preparation of the draft joint clinical assessment report and the summary report and set a time - frame in which they may submit comments . ### the designated sub - group shall ensure that stakeholders experts , including patients and clinical experts identified to by the stakeholder network or by the health technology developer , are given an opportunity to provide comments during the preparation of the draft joint clinical assessment report and the summary report and set a time - frame in which they may submit comments .


### the commission shall establish a stakeholder network through an open call for applications and a selection of suitable stakeholder organisations based on selection criteria established in the open call for applications . ### the commission shall establish a stakeholder network through an open call for applications and a selection of suitable stakeholder organisations based on selection criteria established in the open call for applications . the commission services shall take the following criteria into account when assessing applications :


### to achieve the objectives of the cfp , a number of conservation measures are to be adopted as appropriate in any combination thereof , such as multi - annual plans , technical measures , fixing and allocation of fishing opportunities . ### to achieve the objectives of the cfp , a number of conservation measures are to be adopted , such as multi - annual plans , technical measures , fixing of fishing opportunities and also , where necessary , any combination thereof .


### pursuant to articles 9 and 10 of regulation no 1380 / 2013 , multiannual plans are to be based on scientific , technical and economic advice and contain objectives , quantifiable targets with clear timeframes , conservation reference points and safeguards . ### pursuant to articles 9 and 10 of regulation no 1380 / 2013 , multiannual plans are to be based on scientific , technical and economic advice and contain objectives , quantifiable targets with clear timeframes , conservation reference points , objectives and safeguards , goals for stock conservation and technical measures to be taken to achieve the targets for the maximum possible avoidance of and reduction of unwanted catches as set out in article 15 thereof .


### in line with the ecosystem - based approach and in addition to the fisheries - related descriptor of directive 2008 / 56 / ec , qualitative descriptors 1 , 4 and 6 contained in annex i to the directive are to be considered in the framework of fisheries management . ### in line with the ecosystem - based approach , this plan should also contribute to the achievement of good environmental status , as laid down in directive 2008 / 56 / ec , qualitative descriptors 1 , 4 and 6 contained in annex i to the directive are to be considered in the framework of fisheries management . this plan should also contribute to the achievement of favourable conservation status for habitats and species as required by directive 2009 / 147 / ec of the european parliament and of the council 1a and council directive 92 / 43 / ec 1b respectively . _________________ 1a directive 2009 / 147 / ec of the european parliament and of the council of 30 november 2009 on the conservation of wild birds . 1b council directive 92 / 43 / eec of 21 may 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora .


### article 16 of regulation no 1380 / 2013 requires that fishing opportunities be fixed in accordance with the targets set out in the multiannual plans . ### article 16 of regulation no 1380 / 2013 requires that fishing opportunities be fixed in accordance with the targets , time frames and margins set out in the multiannual plans .


### it is appropriate to establish the target fishing mortality that corresponds to the objective of reaching and maintaining msy as ranges of values which are consistent with achieving maximum sustainable yield . those ranges , based on scientific advice , are necessary in order to provide flexibility to take account of developments in the scientific advice , to contribute to the implementation of the landing obligation and to take into account the characteristics of mixed fisheries . the fmsy ranges have been calculated by the scientific , technical and economic committee for fisheries and are derived to deliver no more than a 5 % reduction in long - term yield compared to msy . 45 in addition , the upper limit of the range is capped , so that the probability of the stock falling below blim is no more than 5 % . _________________ 45 scientific , technical and economic committee for fisheries – small pelagic stocks in the adriatic sea . mediterranean assessments part 1 . 2015 . [ publications office of the european union , luxembourg , eur 27492 en , jrc 97707 , 52 pp . ] [ the second part of this reference seems to be mistaken . opoce , please check . ] ### it is appropriate to establish the target fishing mortality that corresponds to the objective of reaching and maintaining msy as ranges of values which are consistent with achieving maximum sustainable yield . those ranges , based on best available scientific advice , are necessary in order to provide flexibility to take account of developments in the scientific advice , to contribute to the implementation of the landing obligation and to take into account the characteristics of mixed fisheries . the fmsy ranges have been calculated by the scientific , technical and economic committee for fisheries . 45a based on this plan they are derived to deliver no more than a 5 % reduction in long - term yield compared to msy . in addition , the upper limit of the range is capped , so that the probability of the stock falling below blim is no more than 5 % . _________________ 45a scientific , technical and economic committee for fisheries – small pelagic stocks in the adriatic sea . mediterranean assessments part 1 . 2015 . [ publications office of the european union , luxembourg , eur 27492 en , jrc 97707 , 52 pp . ] [ the second part of this reference seems to be mistaken . opoce , please check . ]


### the plan should also provide for certain accompanying technical measures to be adopted , by means of delegated acts , in order to contribute to achieving the objectives of the plan , in particular as regards the protection of juvenile fish or to improve selectivity . ### the plan should also provide for certain accompanying technical , as well as temporal and spatial measures to be adopted , by means of delegated acts , and taking into account the best available scientific advice , in order to contribute to achieving the objectives of the plan , in particular as regards the protection of juvenile fish or to improve selectivity .


### the multiannual plan shall contribute to the elimination of discards by avoiding and reducing , as far as possible , unwanted catches , and to the implementation of the landing obligation established in article 15 of regulation no 1380 / 2013 for the species which are subject to it and to which this regulation applies . ### the multiannual plan shall contribute to the elimination of discards by reducing , as far as possible , unwanted catches , and to the implementation of the landing obligation established in article 15 of regulation no 1380 / 2013 for the species which are subject to it and to which this regulation applies .


### the multiannual plan shall implement the ecosystem - based approach to fisheries management in order to ensure that negative impacts of fishing activities on the marine ecosystem are minimised . it shall be coherent with union environmental legislation , in particular with the objective of achieving good environmental status by 2020 as set out in article 1 of directive 2008 / 56 / ec . ### the multiannual plan shall implement the ecosystem - based approach to fisheries management in order to ensure that negative impacts of fishing activities on the marine ecosystem , particularly threatened habitats and protected species including marine mammals , seabirds and reptiles , are minimised , and where possible eliminated . it shall be coherent with union environmental legislation , in particular with the objective of achieving good environmental status by 2020 as set out in article 1 of directive 2008 / 56 / ec , and with the targets and rules laid down in directives 2009 / 147 / ec and 92 / 43 / eec .


### in order to ensure compliance with union law , member states should notify the draft intergovernmental agreement to the commission before it becomes legally binding for the parties . in a spirit of cooperation , the commission should support the member state in identifying compliance issues of the draft intergovernmental agreement or amendment . the respective member state would then be better prepared to conclude a union law compliant agreement . the commission should have sufficient time for such an assessment in order to provide for as much legal certainty as possible while avoiding undue delays . in order to fully benefit from the commission’s support member states should refrain from concluding an intergovernmental agreement until the commission has informed the member state of its assessment . the member states should take all necessary steps to find a suitable solution to eliminate the incompatibility identified . ### in order to ensure compliance with union law , member states should notify the draft intergovernmental agreement to the commission before it becomes legally binding for the parties . in a spirit of cooperation , the commission should support the member state in identifying compliance issues of the draft intergovernmental agreement or amendment . the respective member state would then be better prepared to conclude a union law compliant agreement . the commission should have sufficient time for such an assessment in order to provide for as much legal certainty as possible while avoiding undue delays which may jeopardise conclusion of the agreement . in order to fully benefit from the commission’s support member states should refrain from concluding an intergovernmental agreement until the commission has informed the member state of its assessment within the time limits indicated . the member states should take all necessary steps to find a suitable solution to eliminate the incompatibility identified .


### the commission should make information it receives available to all other member states in secure electronic form . the commission should respect requests from member states to treat information submitted to it as confidential . requests for confidentiality should , however , not restrict access of the commission itself to confidential information , as the commission needs to have comprehensive information for its own assessments . the commission should be responsible for guaranteeing the application of the confidentiality clause . requests for confidentiality should be without prejudice to the right of access to documents as provided for in regulation no 1049 / 2001 of the european parliament and of the council11 . _________________ 11regulation no 1049 / 2001 of the european parliament and of the council of 30 may 2001 regarding public access to european parliament , council and commission documents . ### the commission should make information it receives available to all other member states in secure electronic form . the commission should respect requests from member states to treat information submitted to it as confidential in order to maintain the level of confidentiality needed to safeguard the interests of the member states during the negotiations with the other party . requests for confidentiality should , however , not restrict access of the commission itself to confidential information , as the commission needs to have comprehensive information for its own assessments . the commission should be responsible for guaranteeing the application of the confidentiality clause . requests for confidentiality should be without prejudice to the right of access to documents as provided for in regulation no 1049 / 2001 of the european parliament and of the council11 . _________________ 11regulation no 1049 / 2001 of the european parliament and of the council of 30 may 2001 regarding public access to european parliament , council and commission documents .


### the commission should facilitate and encourage coordination between member states with a view to enhancing the overall strategic role of the union through a strong and effective coordinated approach to producer , transit , and consumer countries . ### the commission should facilitate and encourage coordination between member states with a view to enhancing the overall strategic role of the union through a strong and effective coordinated approach to producer , transit , and consumer countries , including with a view to ensuring consistency between the principles of eu energy policy and the common commercial policy .


### having regard to the treaty on the functioning of the european union , and in particular articles 77 and 79 thereof ### having regard to the treaty on the functioning of the european union , and in particular articles 77 and 79 and 80 thereof


### pursuant to article 80 tfeu , these policies and their implementation should be governed by the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility , including its financial implications , between the member states . ### pursuant to article 80 tfeu , these policies and their implementation should be governed by the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility , including its financial implications , between all member states of the european union .


### the instrument should be implemented in full compliance with the rights and principles enshrined in the charter of fundamental rights of the european union and with the union’s international obligations as regards fundamental rights . ### the instrument should be implemented in full compliance with the rights and principles enshrined in the charter of fundamental rights of the european union and with the union’s international obligations as regards fundamental rights and the principle of non - refoulement .


### the european agency for safety and health at work was established by council regulation no 2062 / 943 to contribute to improvement of the working environment , as regards the protection of the safety and health of workers , through action designed to increase and disseminate knowledge likely to assist this improvement . _________________ 3 council regulation no 2062 / 94 of 18 july 1994 establishing a european agency for safety and health at work . ### the european agency for safety and health at work was established by council regulation no 2062 / 943 to contribute to improvement of the working environment , as regards the protection of the safety and health of workers , through action designed to increase and disseminate knowledge likely to assist this improvement . the main aim of eu - osha must be to provide specialized and added - value information in its area of expertise . _________________ 3 council regulation no 2062 / 94 of 18 july 1994 establishing a european agency for safety and health at work .


### as the three tripartite agencies - eu - osha , the european centre for development and vocational training , and the european foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions - address issues related to the labour market , working environment and vocational education and training and skills , close coordination among three agencies is required and the ways to enhance efficiency and synergies should be exploited . in addition , whenever relevant , the agency should seek to engage in efficient cooperation with the european commission ' s in - house research capacities . ### as the three tripartite agencies - eu - osha , the european centre for development and vocational training , and the european foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions - address issues related to the labour market , working environment and vocational education and training and skills , close coordination among three agencies is required and the ways to enhance efficiency and synergies should be exploited . in particular , sharing or pooling of administrative tasks between the three agencies is envisaged and the agencies should adopt their respective annual work programmes in close co - operation with one another , in order to avoid overlaps . in addition , whenever relevant , the agency should seek to improve its resource management by grouping assets , equipment and personnel to minimize risks of users and maximize advantages , and engage in efficient cooperation with the european commission ' s in - house research capacities .


### the objective of the agency shall be to provide the european union institutions and bodies , the member states , the social partners and those involved in the field of safety and health at work with the technical , scientific , legal and economic information and qualified expertise of use in that field . ### the objective of the agency shall be to provide the european union institutions and bodies , the member states , the social partners and those involved in the field of safety and health at work with the technical , scientific , legal and economic information and qualified expertise of use in that field , in order to improve the occupational safety and health of workers .


### the executive board shall be composed of the chairperson of the management board , the three deputy chairpersons , the coordinators of the three groups as referred to in article 4 and one representative of the commission . each group referred to in article 4 may designate up to two alternates to attend the meetings of the executive board , in the absence of the full members . the chairperson of the management board shall also be the chairperson of the executive board . the executive director shall take part in the meetings of the executive board , but shall not have the right to vote . ### the executive board shall be composed of the chairperson of the management board , the three deputy chairpersons , the coordinators of the three groups as referred to in article 4 , one more representative of each group and one representative from each european union institution , the parliament and the commission . each group referred to in article 4 may designate up to two alternates to attend the meetings of the executive board , aiming to achieve a balanced representation between men and women when designating alternates . the chairperson of the management board shall also be the chairperson of the executive board . the executive director shall take part in the meetings of the executive board , but shall not have the right to vote .


### the accounting officer shall , by 1 july following each financial year , send the final accounts to the european parliament , the council , the commission and the court of auditors , together with the management board ' s opinion . ### the accounting officer shall , by 1 july following each financial year , send the final accounts to the european parliament , the council , the commission and the european court of auditors , together with the management board ' s opinion .


### the executive director shall be appointed by the management board , from a list of candidates proposed by the commission , following an open and transparent selection procedure . for the purpose of concluding the contract with the executive director , the agency shall be represented by the chairperson of the management board . ### the executive director shall be appointed by the management board , from a list of candidates proposed by the commission after obtaining the consent of the management board which must be involved in the process of short - listing the candidates and can act by written procedure if necessary , and following an open and transparent selection procedure . once appointed the new executive director shall attend a hearing in the european parliament . for the purpose of concluding the contract with the executive director , the agency shall be represented by the chairperson of the management board .


### the executive director may be removed from office only upon a decision of the management board acting on a proposal from the commission . ### the executive director may be removed from office only upon a decision of the management board acting on a proposal from the commission based on an objective assessment of his / her performance as executive director .


### not later than 5 years after the date referred to in article 35 , and every 5 years thereafter , the commission shall perform an evaluation in compliance with the commission guidelines to assess the agency ' s performance in relation to its objectives , mandate and tasks . the evaluation shall , in particular , address the possible need to modify the mandate of the agency , and the financial implications of any such modification . ### no later than 5 years after the date referred to in article 37 , and every 5 years thereafter , the commission shall perform an evaluation in compliance with the commission guidelines to assess the agency ' s performance in relation to its objectives , mandate and tasks . the management board shall be consulted in the evaluation . the evaluation shall , in particular , address the possible need to modify the mandate of the agency , and the related additional financial , budgetary and human resources if new tasks are allocated to the agency or if the workload linked to existing task increases .


### not later than 5 years after the date referred to in article 35 , and every 5 years thereafter , the commission shall perform an evaluation in compliance with the commission guidelines to assess the agency ' s performance in relation to its objectives , mandate and tasks . the evaluation shall , in particular , address the possible need to modify the mandate of the agency , and the financial implications of any such modification . ### not later than 5 years after the date referred to in article 35 , and every 5 years thereafter , the commission shall submit an evaluation in compliance with the commission guidelines to assess the agency ' s performance in relation to its objectives , mandate and tasks . the evaluation shall , in particular , address the possible need to modify the mandate of the agency , and the financial implications of any such modification .


### since the cap needs to sharpen its responses to the challenges and opportunities as they manifest themselves at union , international , national , regional , local and farm levels , it is necessary to streamline the governance of the cap and improve its delivery on the union objectives and to significantly decrease the administrative burden . in the cap based on delivery of performance , the union should set the basic policy parameters , such as objectives of the cap and basic requirements , while member states should bear greater responsibility as to how they meet the objectives and achieve targets . enhanced subsidiarity makes it possible to better take into account local conditions and needs , tailoring the support to maximise the contribution to union objectives . ### since the cap needs to sharpen its responses to the challenges and opportunities as they manifest themselves at union , international , national , regional , local and farm levels , it is necessary to streamline the governance of the cap and improve its delivery on the union objectives and to significantly decrease the administrative burden on beneficiaries . in the cap based on delivery of performance , the union should set the basic policy parameters , such as objectives of the cap and basic requirements , while member states should bear greater responsibility as to how they meet the objectives and achieve targets . enhanced subsidiarity makes it possible to better take into account local conditions and needs , tailoring the support to maximise the contribution to union objectives . nevertheless , in order to ensure that such subsidiarity does not translate into a renationalisation of the cap , this regulation must include a strong body of european union provisions designed to prevent the distortion of competition and ensure non - discriminatory treatment for all community farmers throughout eu territory . member states in their approach to reach these objectives shall also ensure the decrease of administrative burden for beneficiaries .


### since the cap needs to sharpen its responses to the challenges and opportunities as they manifest themselves at union , international , national , regional , local and farm levels , it is necessary to streamline the governance of the cap and improve its delivery on the union objectives and to significantly decrease the administrative burden . in the cap based on delivery of performance , the union should set the basic policy parameters , such as objectives of the cap and basic requirements , while member states should bear greater responsibility as to how they meet the objectives and achieve targets . enhanced subsidiarity makes it possible to better take into account local conditions and needs , tailoring the support to maximise the contribution to union objectives . ### since the cap needs to sharpen its responses to the challenges , such as increasing concentration of agricultural land and inter alia concentration of direct payments in the hands of few , and opportunities as they manifest themselves at union , international , national , regional , local and farm levels , it is necessary to streamline the governance of the cap and improve its delivery on the union objectives and to significantly decrease the administrative burden . in the cap based on delivery of sustainability and performance , the union should set the basic policy parameters , such as objectives of the cap and basic requirements , while member states should bear greater responsibility as to how they meet the objectives and achieve targets in the broader context of a level playing field . enhanced subsidiarity makes it possible to better take into account local conditions and needs , tailoring the support to maximise the contribution to union objectives . this is only possible if targets are ambitious and a monitoring system is used which allows a comparison between member states to guarantee that at the european level the cap contributes to societal demands regarding the environment , biodiversity and animal welfare .


### in order to retain the essential union - wide elements to ensure comparability between member state decisions , without however limiting member states in reaching union objectives , a framework definition for ‘ agricultural area’ should be set out . the related framework definitions for ‘ arable land’ , ‘ permanent crops’ and ‘ permanent grassland’ should be set out in a broad way to allow member states to further specify definitions according to their local conditions . the framework definition for ‘ arable land’ should be laid down in a way that allows member states to cover different production forms , including system such as agroforestry and arable areas with shrubs and trees and that requires the inclusion of fallow land areas in order to ensure the decoupled nature of the interventions . the framework definition of ‘ permanent crops’ should include both areas actually used for production and not , as well as nurseries and short rotation coppice to be defined by member states . the framework definition of ‘ permanent grassland’ should be set in a way that allows member states to specify further criteria and allows them to include species other than grasses or other herbaceous forage that can be grazed or that may produce animal feed , whether used for actual production or not . ### in order to retain the essential union - wide elements to ensure comparability between member state decisions , without however limiting member states in reaching union objectives , a clear framework definition for ‘ agricultural area’ should be set out . the related framework definitions for ‘ arable land’ , ‘ permanent crops’ and ‘ permanent grassland’ should be set out in a broad way to allow member states to further specify definitions according to their local conditions . the framework definition for ‘ arable land’ should be laid down in a way that allows member states to cover different production forms , including system such as agroforestry and arable areas with shrubs and trees and that requires the inclusion of fallow land areas in order to ensure the decoupled nature of the interventions . the framework definition of ‘ permanent crops’ should include both areas actually used for production and not , as well as nurseries and short rotation coppice to be defined by member states . the framework definition of ‘ permanent grassland’ should be set in a way that allows member states to specify further criteria and allows them to include species other than grasses or other herbaceous forage , bushes and trees or small landscape elements not used to grow fodder that can be grazed or that may produce animal feed , whether used for actual production or not .


### in order to ensure consistency between the direct payments types of interventions and rural development types of interventions when addressing the objective of generational renewal , a framework definition for ‘ young farmer’ with the essential elements should be set out at union level . ### in order to ensure consistency between the direct payments types of interventions and rural development types of interventions when addressing the objective of generational renewal , a specifically corresponding definition for ‘ young farmer’ with the essential elements should be set out at member state level .


### in order to give substance to the objectives of the cap as established by article 39 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union , as well as to ensure that the union adequately addresses its most recent challenges , it is appropriate to provide for a set of general objectives reflecting the orientations given in the communication on ‘ the future of food and farming’ . a set of specific objectives should be further defined at union level and applied by the member states in their cap strategic plans . while striking a balance across the dimensions of sustainable development , in line with the impact assessment , these specific objectives should translate the general objectives of the cap into more concrete priorities and take into account relevant union legislation , particularly with regard to climate , energy and environment . ### in order to give substance to the objectives of the cap as established by article 39 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union , as well as to ensure that the union adequately addresses its most recent challenges , it is appropriate to provide for a set of general objectives reflecting the orientations given in the communication on ‘ the future of food and farming’ . a set of specific objectives should be further defined at union level and applied by the member states in their cap strategic plans . these specific objectives should attain the various dimensions of sustainable development , while at the same time translating the general objectives of the cap into more concrete priorities and taking into account relevant union legislation , particularly with regard to climate , energy and environment .


### bolstering environmental care and climate action and contributing to the achievement of union environmental - and climate - related objectives is a very high priority in the future of union agriculture and forestry . the architecture of the cap should therefore reflect greater ambition with respect to these objectives . by virtue of the delivery model , action taken to tackle environmental degradation and climate change should be result - driven and article 11 tfeu should , for this purpose , be considered as an obligation of result . ### bolstering environmental care and climate action and contributing to the achievement of union environmental - and climate - related objectives is a very high priority in the future of union agriculture and forestry . the architecture of the cap should therefore reflect considerably greater ambition with respect to these objectives . by virtue of the delivery model , action taken to tackle environmental degradation and climate change should be result - driven and article 11 tfeu shall , for this purpose , be considered as an obligation of result .


### bolstering environmental care and climate action and contributing to the achievement of union environmental - and climate - related objectives is a very high priority in the future of union agriculture and forestry . the architecture of the cap should therefore reflect greater ambition with respect to these objectives . by virtue of the delivery model , action taken to tackle environmental degradation and climate change should be result - driven and article 11 tfeu should , for this purpose , be considered as an obligation of result . as many rural areas in the union suffer from structural problems such as lack of attractive employment opportunities , skill shortages , underinvestment in connectivity , infrastructures and essential services , as well as youth drain , it is fundamental to strengthen the socio - economic fabric in those areas , in line with the cork 2 . 0 . declaration , particularly through job creation and generational renewal , by bringing the commission ' s jobs and growth to rural areas , promoting social inclusion , generational renewal and the development of ‘ smart villages’ across the european countryside . as indicated in the communication on ‘ the future of food and farming’ , new rural value chains such as renewable energy , the emerging bio - economy , the circular economy , and ecotourism can offer good growth and job potential for rural areas . in this context , financial instruments and the use of the investeu guarantee can play a crucial role for ensuring access to financing and for bolstering the growth capacity of farms and enterprises . there is a potential for employment opportunities in rural areas for legally staying third country nationals , promoting their social and economic integration especially in the framework of community - led local development strategies . ### bolstering environmental care and climate action and contributing to the achievement of union environmental - and climate - related objectives is a very high priority in the future of union agriculture and forestry . the architecture of the cap should therefore reflect greater ambition and should be speeded up to meet with respect these objectives and by making farming a strong pylon in the battle against climate change . by virtue of the delivery model , action taken to tackle environmental degradation and climate change should be result - driven and article 11 tfeu should , for this purpose , be considered as an obligation of result . as many rural areas in the union suffer from structural problems such as lack of attractive employment opportunities , skill shortages , underinvestment in connectivity , infrastructures and essential services , as well as youth drain , it is fundamental to strengthen the socio - economic fabric in those areas , in line with the cork 2 . 0 . declaration , particularly through job creation , including in third countries for the growing population there , and generational renewal , by bringing the commission ' s jobs and growth to rural areas , promoting social inclusion , generational renewal and the development of ‘ smart villages’ across the european countryside . as indicated in the communication on ‘ the future of food and farming’ , new rural value chains such as renewable energy , the emerging bio - economy , the circular economy , and ecotourism can offer good growth and job potential for rural areas . in this context , financial instruments and the use of the investeu guarantee can play a crucial role for ensuring access to financing and for bolstering the growth capacity of farms and enterprises . there is a potential for employment opportunities in rural areas for legally staying third country nationals , promoting their social and economic integration especially in the framework of community - led local development strategies .


### the cap should keep ensuring food security , which should be understood as meaning access to sufficient , safe and nutritious food at all times . moreover , it should help improving the response of union agriculture to new societal demands on food and health , including sustainable agricultural production , healthier nutrition , food waste and animal welfare . the cap should continue to promote production with specific and valuable characteristics , while at the same time helping farmers to proactively adjust their production according to market signals and consumers’ demands . ### the cap should keep ensuring food security for europe , which should be understood as meaning access to sufficient , safe and nutritious food at all times and maximising eu plant protein production . moreover , it should help improving the response of union agriculture to new societal demands on food and health , including sustainable agricultural production , healthier nutrition , reduced food waste and enhanced animal welfare . the cap should continue to promote production with specific and valuable characteristics , such as regionally identifiable food chains , and at the same time helping farmers to proactively adjust their production according to market signals and consumers’ demands . member states should ensure that financial support for farmers in procuring new skills and equipment required to transition their production in order to meet changing consumer demands and protect livelihoods in rural communities is being allocated .


### the cap should keep ensuring food security , which should be understood as meaning access to sufficient , safe and nutritious food at all times . moreover , it should help improving the response of union agriculture to new societal demands on food and health , including sustainable agricultural production , healthier nutrition , food waste and animal welfare . the cap should continue to promote production with specific and valuable characteristics , while at the same time helping farmers to proactively adjust their production according to market signals and consumers’ demands . ### the cap should keep ensuring food security , which should be understood as meaning access for all consumers to sufficient , safe , nutritious and reasonably priced food at all times . moreover , it should help improving the response of union agriculture to new societal demands on food and health , including sustainable agricultural production , healthier nutrition , food waste and animal welfare . the cap should continue to promote production with specific and valuable characteristics , while at the same time helping farmers to proactively adjust their production according to market signals and consumers’ demands .


### the framework of standards of gaecs aims to contribute to the mitigation and adaptation to climate change , the tackling of water challenges , the protection and quality of soil and the protection and quality of biodiversity . the framework needs to be enhanced to take into account in particular the practices set until 2020 under the greening of direct payments , the mitigation of climate change and the need to improve farms sustainability , and in particular the nutrients management . it is acknowledged that each gaec contributes to multiple objectives . in order to implement the framework , member states should define a national standard for each of the standards set at union level taking into account the specific characteristics of the area concerned , including soil and climatic conditions , existing farming conditions , land use , crop rotation , farming practices and farm structures . member states may also define in addition other national standards related to the main objectives laid down in annex iii in order to improve the environmental and climate delivery of the gaec framework . as part of gaec framework , in order to support both the agronomic and the environmental performance of farms , nutrient management plans will be established with the help of a dedicated electronic farm sustainability tool made available by the member states to individual farmers . the tool should provide on - farm decision support starting from minimum nutrient management functionalities . a wide interoperability and modularity should also ensure the possibility to add other electronic on - farm and e - governance applications . in order to ensure a level playing field between farmers and across the union , the commission may provide support to the member states in the design of the tool as well as with the data storage and processing services required . ### the framework of standards of gaecs will contribute to the mitigation and adaptation to climate change , the tackling of water challenges , the protection and quality of soil and the protection and quality of biodiversity . the framework is to take into account in particular the practices set until 2020 under the greening of direct payments , the mitigation of climate change and the need to improve farms sustainability , and in particular the nutrients management . it is acknowledged that each gaec contributes to multiple objectives . in order to implement the framework , member states should define a national standard in line with each of the minimum standards set at union level taking into account the specific characteristics of the area concerned , including soil and climatic conditions , existing farming conditions , land use , annual crop rotation , farming practices and farm structures . member states may also define in addition other national standards related to the main objectives laid down in annex iii in order to improve the environmental and climate delivery of the gaec framework . as part of gaec framework , in order to support both the agronomic and the environmental performance of farms , nutrient management plans will be established with the help of a dedicated electronic farm sustainability tool made available by the member states to individual farmers . the tool should provide on - farm decision support starting from minimum nutrient management functionalities and including water and soil management , input reductions and biodiversity measures . a wide interoperability and modularity should also ensure the possibility to add other electronic on - farm and e - governance applications . in order to ensure a level playing field between farmers and across the union , the commission may provide support to the member states in the design of the tool as well as with the data storage and processing services required .


### the framework of standards of gaecs aims to contribute to the mitigation and adaptation to climate change , the tackling of water challenges , the protection and quality of soil and the protection and quality of biodiversity . the framework needs to be enhanced to take into account in particular the practices set until 2020 under the greening of direct payments , the mitigation of climate change and the need to improve farms sustainability , and in particular the nutrients management . it is acknowledged that each gaec contributes to multiple objectives . in order to implement the framework , member states should define a national standard for each of the standards set at union level taking into account the specific characteristics of the area concerned , including soil and climatic conditions , existing farming conditions , land use , crop rotation , farming practices and farm structures . member states may also define in addition other national standards related to the main objectives laid down in annex iii in order to improve the environmental and climate delivery of the gaec framework . as part of gaec framework , in order to support both the agronomic and the environmental performance of farms , nutrient management plans will be established with the help of a dedicated electronic farm sustainability tool made available by the member states to individual farmers . the tool should provide on - farm decision support starting from minimum nutrient management functionalities . a wide interoperability and modularity should also ensure the possibility to add other electronic on - farm and e - governance applications . in order to ensure a level playing field between farmers and across the union , the commission may provide support to the member states in the design of the tool as well as with the data storage and processing services required . ### the framework of standards of gaecs aims to contribute to the mitigation and adaptation to climate change , the tackling of water challenges , the protection and quality of soil and the protection and quality of biodiversity . the framework needs to be enhanced to take into account in particular the practices set until 2020 under the greening of direct payments , the mitigation of climate change and the need to improve farms sustainability , and in particular the nutrients management . it is acknowledged that each gaec contributes to multiple objectives . in order to implement the framework , member states should define a national standard for each of the standards set at union level taking into account the specific characteristics of the area concerned , including soil and climatic conditions , existing farming conditions , land use , state of play of pollinators , variety of grown cultures , crop rotation , farming practices and farm structures . member states may also define in addition other national standards related to the main objectives laid down in annex iii in order to improve the environmental and climate delivery of the gaec framework . as part of gaec framework , in order to support both the agronomic and the environmental performance of farms , nutrient management plans will be established with the help of a dedicated electronic farm sustainability tool made available by the member states to individual farmers . the tool should provide on - farm decision support starting from minimum nutrient management functionalities . a wide interoperability and modularity should also ensure the possibility to add other electronic on - farm and e - governance applications . in order to ensure a level playing field between farmers and across the union , the commission may provide support to the member states in the design of the tool as well as with the data storage and processing services required .


### smrs need to be fully implemented by member states in order to become operational at farm level and ensure equal treatment of farmers . to ensure the consistency of the rules on conditionality in enhancing the sustainability of the policy , smrs should encompass main union legislation on environment , public health , animal health , plant health and animal welfare which implementation at national level imply precise obligations on individual farmers , including obligations under council directive 92 / 43 / eec11 and directive 2009 / 147 / ec of the european parliament and of the council12 or council directive 91 / 676 / eec . 13 in order to follow up on the joint statement made by the european parliament and the council as annexed to regulation no 1306 / 2013 of the european parliament and of the council , 14 the relevant provisions of directive 2000 / 60 / ec of the european parliament and of the council15 and directive 2009 / 128 / ec of the european parliament and of the council16 are included as smrs into the scope of conditionality and the list of gaec standards is adapted accordingly . _________________ 11 council directive 92 / 43 / eec of 21 may 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora . 12 directive 2009 / 147 / ec of the european parliament and of the council of 30 november 2009 on the conservation of wild birds . 13 council directive 91 / 676 / eec of 12 december 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources . 14 regulation no 1306 / 2013 of the european parliament and of the council of 17 december 2013 on the financing , management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy and repealing council regulations no 352 / 78 , no 165 / 94 , no 2799 / 98 , no 814 / 2000 , no 1290 / 2005 and no 485 / 2008 . 15 directive 2000 / 60 / ec of the european parliament and of the council of 23 october 2000 establishing a framework for community action in the field of water policy . 16 directive 2009 / 128 / ec of the european parliament and of the council of 21 october 2009 establishing a framework for community action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides . ### smrs need to be fully implemented by member states in order to become operational at farm level and ensure equal treatment of farmers . to ensure the consistency of the rules on conditionality in enhancing the sustainability of the policy , smrs should encompass union legislation on environment , public health , animal health , plant health and animal welfare for which implementation at national level implies precise obligations on individual farmers , including obligations under council directive 92 / 43 / eec11 and directive 2009 / 147 / ec of the european parliament and of the council12 or council directive 91 / 676 / eec . 13 in order to follow up on the joint statement made by the european parliament and the council as annexed to regulation no 1306 / 2013 of the european parliament and of the council , 14 the relevant provisions of directive 2000 / 60 / ec of the european parliament and of the council15 and directive 2009 / 128 / ec of the european parliament and of the council16 are included as smrs into the scope of conditionality and the list of gaec standards is adapted accordingly . _________________ 11 council directive 92 / 43 / eec of 21 may 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora . 12 directive 2009 / 147 / ec of the european parliament and of the council of 30 november 2009 on the conservation of wild birds . 13 council directive 91 / 676 / eec of 12 december 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources . 14 regulation no 1306 / 2013 of the european parliament and of the council of 17 december 2013 on the financing , management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy and repealing council regulations no 352 / 78 , no 165 / 94 , no 2799 / 98 , no 814 / 2000 , no 1290 / 2005 and no 485 / 2008 . 15 directive 2000 / 60 / ec of the european parliament and of the council of 23 october 2000 establishing a framework for community action in the field of water policy . 16 directive 2009 / 128 / ec of the european parliament and of the council of 21 october 2009 establishing a framework for community action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides .


### member states should set farm advisory services for the purpose of improving the sustainable management and overall performance of agricultural holdings and rural businesses , covering economic , environmental and social dimensions , and to identify the necessary improvements as regards all measures at farm level provided for in the cap strategic plans . these farm advisory services should help farmers and other beneficiaries of cap support to become more aware of the relationship between farm management and land management on the one hand , and certain standards , requirements and information , including environmental and climate ones , on the other hand . the list of the latter includes standards applying to or necessary for farmers and other cap beneficiaries and set in the cap strategic plan , as well as those stemming from the legislation on water , on the sustainable use of pesticides , as well as the initiatives to combat antimicrobial resistance and the management of risks . in order to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the advice , member states should integrate advisors within the agricultural knowledge and innovation systems , in order to be able to deliver up - to - date technological and scientific information developed by research and innovation . ### member states should set up and put in place procedures for avoidance of conflicts of interest for farm advisory services whose objective is improving the sustainable management and overall performance of agricultural holdings and rural businesses , covering economic , environmental and social dimensions and the specific objectives of this regulation referred to in article 6 , and to identify the necessary improvements as regards all measures at farm level provided for in the cap strategic plans . these farm advisory services should help farmers and other beneficiaries of cap support to become more aware of the relationship between farm management and land management on the one hand , and certain standards , requirements and information , including environmental and climate ones as well as animal welfare , on the other hand . the list of the latter includes standards applying to or necessary for farmers and other cap beneficiaries and set in the cap strategic plan , as well as those stemming from the legislation on water and the reduction of the use of pesticides , as well as agro - ecological measures , the promotion of the sustainable management of nutrients , the initiatives to combat antimicrobial resistance and the management of risks . in order to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the advice , member states should set out procedures for avoidance of conflicts of interest , and integrate advisors within the agricultural knowledge and innovation systems , in order to be able to deliver up - to - date technological and scientific information developed by research and innovation .


### member states should set farm advisory services for the purpose of improving the sustainable management and overall performance of agricultural holdings and rural businesses , covering economic , environmental and social dimensions , and to identify the necessary improvements as regards all measures at farm level provided for in the cap strategic plans . these farm advisory services should help farmers and other beneficiaries of cap support to become more aware of the relationship between farm management and land management on the one hand , and certain standards , requirements and information , including environmental and climate ones , on the other hand . the list of the latter includes standards applying to or necessary for farmers and other cap beneficiaries and set in the cap strategic plan , as well as those stemming from the legislation on water , on the sustainable use of pesticides , as well as the initiatives to combat antimicrobial resistance and the management of risks . in order to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the advice , member states should integrate advisors within the agricultural knowledge and innovation systems , in order to be able to deliver up - to - date technological and scientific information developed by research and innovation . ### member states should set farm advisory services with the aim of improving the sustainable management and overall performance of agricultural holdings and rural businesses , covering economic , environmental and social dimensions , and to identify the necessary improvements as regards all measures at farm level provided for in the cap strategic plans . these farm advisory services should help farmers and other beneficiaries of cap support to become more aware of the relationship between farm management and land management on the one hand , and certain standards , requirements and information , including environmental and climate ones , on the other hand , particularly in the area of conditionality . the list of the latter includes standards applying to or necessary for farmers and other cap beneficiaries and set in the cap strategic plan , as well as those stemming from the legislation on water , on the sustainable use of pesticides , as well as the initiatives to combat antimicrobial resistance and the management of risks . in order to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the advice , member states should integrate advisors within the agricultural knowledge and innovation systems , in order to be able to deliver up - to - date technological and scientific information developed by research and innovation .


### member states should set farm advisory services for the purpose of improving the sustainable management and overall performance of agricultural holdings and rural businesses , covering economic , environmental and social dimensions , and to identify the necessary improvements as regards all measures at farm level provided for in the cap strategic plans . these farm advisory services should help farmers and other beneficiaries of cap support to become more aware of the relationship between farm management and land management on the one hand , and certain standards , requirements and information , including environmental and climate ones , on the other hand . the list of the latter includes standards applying to or necessary for farmers and other cap beneficiaries and set in the cap strategic plan , as well as those stemming from the legislation on water , on the sustainable use of pesticides , as well as the initiatives to combat antimicrobial resistance and the management of risks . in order to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the advice , member states should integrate advisors within the agricultural knowledge and innovation systems , in order to be able to deliver up - to - date technological and scientific information developed by research and innovation . ### member states should set up and ensure access to farm advisory services for the purpose of improving the sustainable management and overall performance of agricultural holdings and rural businesses , covering economic , environmental and social dimensions , and to identify the necessary improvements as regards all measures at farm level provided for in the cap strategic plans . these farm advisory services should help farmers and other beneficiaries of cap support to become more aware of the relationship between farm management and land management on the one hand , and certain standards , requirements and information , including environmental and climate and animal welfare ones , on the other hand . the list of the latter includes standards applying to or necessary for farmers and other cap beneficiaries and set in the cap strategic plan , as well as those stemming from the legislation on water , on the sustainable use of pesticides , as well as the initiatives to combat antimicrobial resistance , the management of risks , and to promote the sustainable management of nutrients , and input reduction . in order to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the advice , member states should integrate advisors within the agricultural knowledge and innovation systems , in order to be able to deliver up - to - date technological and scientific information developed by research and innovation .


### small farms remain a cornerstone of union agriculture as they play a vital role in supporting rural employment and contribute to territorial development . in order to promote a more balanced distribution of support and to reduce administrative burden for beneficiaries of small amounts , member states should have the option of offering to small farmers the possibility of replacing the other direct payments by providing a round some payment for small farmers . ### small farms remain a cornerstone of union agriculture as they play a vital role in supporting rural employment and contribute to social cohesion in rural areas and to territorial development . in order to promote a more balanced distribution of support and to reduce administrative burden for beneficiaries of small amounts , member states shall offer to small farmers the possibility of replacing the other direct payments by providing a lump sum payment for small farmers .


### the cap should ensure that member states increase the environmental delivery by respecting local needs and farmers ' actual circumstances . member states should under direct payments in the cap strategic plan set up eco - schemes voluntary for farmers , which should be fully coordinated with the other relevant interventions . they should be defined by the member states as a payment granted either for incentivising and remunerating the provision of public goods by agricultural practices beneficial to the environment and climate or as a compensation for the introduction of these practices . in both cases they should aim at enhancing the environmental and climate performance of the cap and should consequently be conceived to go beyond the mandatory requirements already prescribed by the system of conditionality . member states may decide to set up eco - schemes for agricultural practices such as the enhanced management of permanent pastures and landscape features , and organic farming . these schemes may also include ‘ entry - level schemes’ which may be a condition for taking up more ambitious rural development commitments . ### the cap should ensure that member states increase the environmental delivery by respecting local needs and farmers ' actual circumstances while contributing to the overall eu effort . member states should under direct payments in the cap strategic plan set up eco - schemes for farmers , which should be fully coordinated with the other relevant interventions and where an organic farming premia for the maintenance of and the conversion to organic land as well as premia for area - based livestock farming with maximum 2 livestock units per hectare is mandatory . they should be defined by the member states as a payment granted either for incentivising and remunerating the provision of public goods by agricultural practices beneficial to the environment and climate or as a compensation for the introduction of these practices . in both cases they should aim at enhancing the environmental and climate performance of the cap and should consequently be conceived to go beyond the mandatory requirements already prescribed by the system of conditionality . member states may decide to set up eco - schemes to promote all kind of agricultural practices such as , amongst others , the enhanced management of permanent pastures and landscape features and agro - forestry . member states shall incorporate environmental certification schemes , such as organic farming and the promotion of extensive livestock rearing in the list of eco - schemes . these schemes may also include ‘ entry - level schemes’ which may be a condition for taking up more ambitious rural development commitments .


### the cap should ensure that member states increase the environmental delivery by respecting local needs and farmers ' actual circumstances . member states should under direct payments in the cap strategic plan set up eco - schemes voluntary for farmers , which should be fully coordinated with the other relevant interventions . they should be defined by the member states as a payment granted either for incentivising and remunerating the provision of public goods by agricultural practices beneficial to the environment and climate or as a compensation for the introduction of these practices . in both cases they should aim at enhancing the environmental and climate performance of the cap and should consequently be conceived to go beyond the mandatory requirements already prescribed by the system of conditionality . member states may decide to set up eco - schemes for agricultural practices such as the enhanced management of permanent pastures and landscape features , and organic farming . these schemes may also include ‘ entry - level schemes’ which may be a condition for taking up more ambitious rural development commitments . ### the cap should ensure that member states increase the environmental delivery by respecting local needs and farmers ' actual circumstances . member states should under direct payments in the cap strategic plan set up eco - schemes voluntary for farmers , which should be fully coordinated with the other relevant interventions . member states should use at least 20% of their annual direct payments ' envelope for these schemes . they should be defined by the member states as a payment granted either for incentivising and remunerating the result - based provision of public goods or as a compensation for the introduction of environmental or climate practices . in both cases they should aim at enhancing the environmental and climate performance of the cap and should consequently be conceived to go beyond the mandatory requirements already prescribed by the system of conditionality . member states may decide to set up eco - schemes for agricultural practices such as the enhanced management of permanent pastures and landscape features , and organic farming . these schemes may also include ‘ entry - level schemes’ which may be a condition for taking up more ambitious rural development commitments .


### sectoral types of interventions are needed to contribute to the cap objectives and reinforce synergies with other cap instruments . in line with the delivery model , minimum requirements concerning the contents and objectives for such sectoral types of interventions should be elaborated at union level in order to ensure a level playing field in the internal market and avoid conditions of unequal and unfair competition . member states should justify their inclusion in their cap strategic plans and ensure consistency with other interventions at sectoral level . the broad types of interventions to be established at union level should cover the sectors of fruit and vegetables , wine , apiculture products , olive oil and table olives , hops and other products to be defined , for which the establishment of sectoral programs is deemed to have beneficial effects on the achievement of some or all of the general and specific objectives of the cap pursued by this regulation . ### sectoral types of interventions are needed to contribute to the cap objectives and reinforce synergies with other cap instruments . in line with the delivery model , minimum requirements concerning the contents and objectives for such sectoral types of interventions should be elaborated at union level in order to ensure a level playing field in the internal market and avoid conditions of unequal and unfair competition . member states should justify their inclusion in their cap strategic plans and ensure consistency with other interventions at sectoral level . the broad types of interventions to be established at union level should cover the sectors of fruit and vegetables , wine , apiculture products , olive oil and table olives , hops and other products defined in article 39 , for which the establishment of sectoral programs is deemed to have beneficial effects on the achievement of some or all of the general and specific objectives of the cap pursued by this regulation .


### for interventions for rural development , principles are defined at union level , particularly with regard to the basic requirements for the member states to apply selection criteria . however , member states should have ample discretion to define specific conditions according to their needs . types of interventions for rural development include payments for environmental , climate and other management commitments that member states should support throughout their territories , in accordance with their national , regional or local specific needs . member states should grant payments to farmers and other land managers who undertake , on a voluntary basis , management commitments that contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation and to the protection and improvement of the environment including water quality and quantity , air quality , soil , biodiversity and ecosystem services including voluntary commitments in natura 2000 and support for genetic diversity . support under payments for management commitments may also be granted in the form of locally - led , integrated or cooperative approaches and result - based interventions . ### for interventions for rural development , principles are defined at union level , particularly with regard to the basic requirements for the member states to apply selection criteria . however , member states should have ample discretion to define specific conditions according to their needs . types of interventions for rural development include payments for environmental , climate and other management commitments that member states should support throughout their territories , in accordance with their national , regional or local specific needs . member states should grant payments to farmers and other land managers who undertake , on a voluntary basis , management commitments that contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation and to the protection and improvement of the environment including water quality and quantity , air quality , soil , biodiversity and ecosystem services including voluntary commitments in natura 2000 and support for genetic diversity . support under payments for management commitments may also be granted in the form of locally - led , integrated or cooperative approaches and result - based interventions and thus reach the relevant actors , such as farm owners , local authorities , landscape conservation associations or other land managers .


### support for management commitments may include organic farming premia for the maintenance of and the conversion to organic land ; payments for other types of interventions supporting environmentally friendly production systems such as agro - ecology , conservation agriculture and integrated production ; forest environmental and climate services and forest conservation ; premia for forests and establishment of agroforestry systems ; animal welfare ; conservation , sustainable use and development of genetic resources . member states may develop other schemes under this type of interventions on the basis of their needs . this type of payments should cover additional costs and income foregone only resulting from commitments going beyond the baseline of mandatory standards and requirements established in union and national law , as well as conditionality , as laid down in the cap strategic plan . commitments related to this type of interventions may be undertaken for a pre - established annual or pluri - annual period and might go beyond seven years where duly justified . ### support for management commitments may include organic farming premia for the maintenance of and the conversion to organic land ; payments for other types of interventions supporting environmentally friendly production systems such as agro - ecology , conservation agriculture , integrated production , digital agriculture and precision agriculture ; forest environmental and climate services and forest conservation ; premia for forests and establishment of agroforestry systems , the maintenance of perennial agricultural tree crops and vineyards exploiting agricultural land on terraces and steep slopes ; animal welfare ; conservation , sustainable use and development of genetic resources . member states may develop other schemes under this type of interventions on the basis of their needs . this type of payments should cover additional costs and income foregone only resulting from commitments going beyond the baseline of mandatory standards and requirements established in union and national law , as well as conditionality , as laid down in the cap strategic plan . commitments related to this type of interventions may be undertaken for a pre - established annual or pluri - annual period and might go beyond seven years where duly justified .


### support for management commitments may include organic farming premia for the maintenance of and the conversion to organic land ; payments for other types of interventions supporting environmentally friendly production systems such as agro - ecology , conservation agriculture and integrated production ; forest environmental and climate services and forest conservation ; premia for forests and establishment of agroforestry systems ; animal welfare ; conservation , sustainable use and development of genetic resources . member states may develop other schemes under this type of interventions on the basis of their needs . this type of payments should cover additional costs and income foregone only resulting from commitments going beyond the baseline of mandatory standards and requirements established in union and national law , as well as conditionality , as laid down in the cap strategic plan . commitments related to this type of interventions may be undertaken for a pre - established annual or pluri - annual period and might go beyond seven years where duly justified . ### support for management commitments may include organic farming premia for the maintenance of and the conversion to organic land ; payments for other types of interventions supporting environmentally friendly production systems such as agro - ecology , conservation agriculture and integrated production ; forest environmental and climate services and forest conservation ; premia for forests and establishment of agroforestry systems ; the protection of traditional agricultural landscapes , animal welfare ; conservation , sustainable use and development of genetic resources . member states may develop other schemes under this type of interventions on the basis of their needs . this type of payments should cover additional costs and income foregone only resulting from commitments going beyond the baseline of mandatory standards and requirements established in union and national law , as well as conditionality , as laid down in the cap strategic plan . commitments related to this type of interventions may be undertaken for a pre - established annual or pluri - annual period and might go beyond seven years where duly justified .


### support for management commitments may include organic farming premia for the maintenance of and the conversion to organic land ; payments for other types of interventions supporting environmentally friendly production systems such as agro - ecology , conservation agriculture and integrated production ; forest environmental and climate services and forest conservation ; premia for forests and establishment of agroforestry systems ; animal welfare ; conservation , sustainable use and development of genetic resources . member states may develop other schemes under this type of interventions on the basis of their needs . this type of payments should cover additional costs and income foregone only resulting from commitments going beyond the baseline of mandatory standards and requirements established in union and national law , as well as conditionality , as laid down in the cap strategic plan . commitments related to this type of interventions may be undertaken for a pre - established annual or pluri - annual period and might go beyond seven years where duly justified . ### support for management commitments may include payments for types of interventions supporting environmentally friendly production systems such as agro - ecology , agro - forestry and integrated production ; forest environmental and climate services and forest conservation ; premia for forests and establishment of agroforestry systems ; animal welfare ; conservation , sustainable use and development of genetic resources and biodiversity . member states may develop other schemes under this type of interventions on the basis of their needs . this type of payments should cover an incentive component additional costs , income foregone only resulting from commitments going beyond the baseline of mandatory standards and requirements established in union and national law , as well as conditionality , as laid down in the cap strategic plan . commitments related to this type of interventions may be undertaken for a pre - established annual or pluri - annual period and might go beyond seven years where duly justified .


### forestry measures should contribute to the implementation of the union forest strategy , and be based on member states ' national or sub - national forest programs or equivalent instruments , which should build on the commitments stemming from the regulation on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emission and removals from land use , land use energy and forestry [ lulucf regulation ] and those made in the ministerial conferences on the protection of forests in europe . interventions should be based on forest management plans or equivalent instruments and may comprise forest area development and sustainable management of forests , including the afforestation of land and the creation and regeneration of agroforestry systems ; the protection , restoration and improvement of forest resources , taking into account adaptation needs ; investments to guarantee and enhance forest conservation and resilience , and the provision of forest ecosystem and climate services ; and measures and investments in support of the renewable energy and bio - economy . ### forestry measures should contribute widening the use of agroforestry systems and to the implementation of the union forest strategy , and be based on member states ' national or sub - national forest programs or equivalent instruments , which should build on the commitments stemming from the regulation on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emission and removals from land use , land use energy and forestry [ lulucf regulation ] and those made in the ministerial conferences on the protection of forests in europe . interventions should be based on forest management plans or equivalent instruments and may comprise forest area development and sustainable management of forests , including the afforestation of land and the creation and regeneration of agroforestry systems ; the protection , restoration and improvement of forest resources , taking into account adaptation needs ; investments to guarantee and enhance forest conservation and resilience , and the provision of forest ecosystem and climate services ; and measures and investments in support of the renewable energy and bio - economy .