REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 6th FINANCIAL REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the EUROPEAN AGRICULTURAL FUND FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT (EAFRD) 2012 FINANCIAL YEAR
Date: 2013-10-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EAFRD, agricultural expenditure, commitment of expenditure, financial year, payment appropriation, rural development













EUR-Lex - 52013DC0695 - EN











|



52013DC0695

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 6th FINANCIAL REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the EUROPEAN AGRICULTURAL FUND FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT (EAFRD) 2012 FINANCIAL YEAR /* COM/2013/0695 final */









TABLE OF CONTENTS
1........... Budget procedure........................................................................................................... 3
1.1........ Draft Budget (DB) 2012................................................................................................. 3
1.2........ The adoption of the 2012 Budget.................................................................................... 3
1.3........ The adoption of the Amending
Budget............................................................................. 4
2........... Management of appropriations........................................................................................ 4
2.1........ Management of Commitment
appropriations.................................................................... 4
2.1.1..... EAFRD operational programmes.................................................................................... 4
2.1.2..... Technical assistance........................................................................................................ 5
2.2........ Management of payment
appropriations.......................................................................... 5
2.2.1..... EAFRD operational programmes.................................................................................... 5
2.2.2..... Technical assistance........................................................................................................ 6
3........... Implementation of the 2012 EAFRD
budget.................................................................... 6
3.1........ Introduction.................................................................................................................... 6
3.2........ Implementation of commitment
appropriations................................................................. 6
3.2.1..... EAFRD operational programmes.................................................................................... 6
3.2.2..... Technical assistance........................................................................................................ 7
3.3........ Implementation of payment
appropriations....................................................................... 8
3.3.1..... EAFRD operational programmes.................................................................................... 8
3.3.2..... Technical assistance...................................................................................................... 12
3.4........ Analysis of expenditure declared
by axis and by measure............................................... 12
3.5........ Implementation of EAFRD
programmes........................................................................ 14
REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL
6th FINANCIAL REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL
on the EUROPEAN AGRICULTURAL FUND FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT (EAFRD)
2012 FINANCIAL YEAR
1.           Budget
procedure
1.1.        Draft
Budget 2012
The 2012 Draft Budget was adopted by the
Commission and proposed to the Budgetary Authority on 20 April 2011.
The Draft Budget for the European Agricultural
Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) under heading 2 of the Financial Framework
2007-2013 totalled 
EUR 14 612 million in commitment appropriations and EUR 12 658 million
in payment appropriations.
Table 1
 Budget Item || Commitment appropriations (in €) || Payment appropriations (in €) 
 05.040501 (Rural dev. programmes) || 14 589 123 242 || 12 650 000 000 
 05.040502 (Technical assistance) || 22 521 200 || 7 910 000 
The Council adopted its position on the 2012
Draft Budget on 25 July 2011. Payment appropriations were reduced by EUR 140 million
for EAFRD programmes and by EUR 3 million for technical assistance as compared
to the Commission's Draft Budget while commitments remained unchanged. The
European Parliament adopted its position on 26 October 2011 whereby it restored
the Commission's proposal by increasing the total amount of payment
appropriations by EUR 143 million. The Conciliation procedure resulted in an
agreement between the two institutions.
1.2.        The
adoption of the 2012 Budget
The Draft Budget was approved by the Parliament
in a vote on 19 November 2011. The voted budget for the EAFRD in chapter 05 04
amounted to EUR 14 612 million in commitment appropriations and EUR 12 002
million in payment appropriations.
Table 2
 Budget Item || Commitment appropriations (in €) || Payment appropriations (in €) 
 05.040501 (Rural dev. programmes) || 14 589 123 242 || 11 994 891 297 
 05.040502 (Technical assistance) || 22 521 200 || 7 500 363 
1.3.        The
adoption of the Amending Budget
In October 2012 the Commission adopted the
Draft Amending Budget No 6 to the 2012 budget due to a clearly identified lack
of available payment appropriations. Therefore additional funding of EUR 1 041
million was requested for rural development programmes. The budgetary authority
approved the Amending Budget No. 6 on 12 December 2012 for the total amount
requested for EAFRD 2007-2013 programmes. As a result, the total amount of
payment appropriations approved by the budget authority for 2012 was EUR 13 043
million.
2.           Management
of appropriations
2.1.        Management
of Commitment appropriations
2.1.1.     EAFRD
operational programmes
In 2012 the available commitment appropriations
for EAFRD programmes amounted in total to EUR 14 589 million. This amount was
entirely committed during the year.
Table 3
 Management of commitment appropriations in 2012 – EAFRD || Budget Item 05.040501 (amounts in €) 
 Appropriations at the beginning of 2012 || 14 589 123 242 
 Carryover from 2011 || - 
 Appropriations available in 2012 || 14 589 123 242 
 Appropriations used in 2012 || 14 589 123 242 
2.1.2.     Technical
assistance
Article 69(2) of Council regulation (EC) No 1698/2005
stipulates that 0.25% of the resources for Community support to rural
development shall be devoted to technical assistance for the Commission. In the
2012 budget, the initial amount available for this purpose was EUR 22.5
million. Of this, EUR 13 million were redeployed to other items of the budget. At
the end of 2012, the total amount committed was 
EUR 8.4 million. 
2.2.        Management
of payment appropriations
2.2.1.     EAFRD
operational programmes
In 2012 the payment appropriations of the voted
budget amounted to 
EUR 11 995 million. In addition, EUR 30.5 million in relation to recoveries
were automatically carried over from 2011 and EUR 50.2 million of assigned
revenue (recoveries) were collected . The last declaration of expenditure
submitted by Member States in November 2012 confirmed an additional need of 
EUR 1 041 million in payment appropriations . This amount was made available
with the Amending Budget No.6. 
The total amount paid to Member States
for EAFRD programmes in 2012 reached EUR 13 117 million, thus ensuring the full
consumption of the payment credits available in the year.
Table 4
 Management of payment appropriations in 2012 – EAFRD || Budget Item 05.040501 (amounts in €) 
 Appropriations at the beginning of 2012 || 11 994 891 297 
 Carryover from 2011 || 30 544 548 
 Amending budget No. 6 || 1 041 000 000 
 Recoveries (assigned revenue) || 50 156 378 
 Appropriations available in 2012 || 13 116 592 223 
 Appropriations used in 2012 || 13 116 592 223 
2.2.2.     Technical
assistance
In the 2012 budget, the amount of payment
appropriations was EUR 7.5 million. At the end of the year, the total amount of
payments was EUR 5.1 million, leaving 
EUR 2.4 million unused. The unused funds mainly relate to the network facility
of the European Innovation Partnership, which is being implemented in 2013.
3.           Implementation
of the 2012 EAFRD budget
3.1.        Introduction
Financial year 2012 represented a consolidation
period for all rural development programmes though there is a substantial
variability as regards the implementation levels of programmes. For some of
them the implementation difficulties remanined apparently because of the
continued impact of the economic and financial crisis. Nonetheless, it has to
be noted that 2012 has shown the highest execution so far for the rural development
programmes in this programming period.
3.2.        Implementation
of commitment appropriations
3.2.1.     EAFRD
operational programmes
Table 5 shows the amounts committed per Member
State in 2012 and the allocation established by Commission decision 2006/636/EC
(modification of April 2010 still in force in 2012).
In 2012, the commitment appropriations
available for EAFRD programmes, 
EUR 14 589 million, coincide with the annual allocation as there was no
carryover from the previous year. All the available appropriations were
committed 
(EUR 14 589 million).
Table 5
 Commission Decision 2006/636/EC (version in force) vs. the amounts committed end of 2012: 
 Budget item: 05.040501 ||   || (in €) 
 MS || Commission Decision 2006/636/EC – EU funds 2012 || Amounts carried over for commitment in 2012 || Amounts committed in the budget year 2012 
   || (a) || (b) || (c=a+b) 
 AT || 545 968 629 || - || 545 968 629 
 BE || 75 495 480 || - || 75 495 480 
 BG || 397 696 922 || - || 397 696 922 
 CY || 21 783 947 || - || 21 783 947 
 CZ || 412 672 094 || - || 412 672 094 
 DE || 1 398 361 509 || - || 1 398 361 509 
 DK || 98 797 618 || - || 98 797 618 
 EE || 108 913 401 || - || 108 913 401 
 ES || 1 255 978 191 || - || 1 255 978 191 
 FI || 294 408 238 || - || 294 408 238 
 FR || 1 223 917 557 || - || 1 223 917 557 
 GR || 669 030 398 || - || 669 030 398 
 HU || 563 304 619 || - || 563 304 619 
 IE || 352 271 063 || - || 352 271 063 
 IT || 1 422 949 382 || - || 1 422 949 382 
 LT || 250 278 098 || - || 250 278 098 
 LU || 13 281 368 || - || 13 281 368 
 LV || 150 188 774 || - || 150 188 774 
 MT || 10 459 190 || - || 10 459 190 
 NL || 96 082 449 || - || 96 082 449 
 PL || 1 857 244 519 || - || 1 857 244 519 
 PT || 586 692 105 || - || 586 692 105 
 RO || 1 359 146 997 || - || 1 359 146 997 
 SE || 277 860 755 || - || 277 860 755 
 SI || 118 858 866 || - || 118 858 866 
 SK || 275 025 447 || - || 275 025 447 
 UK || 752 455 626 || - || 752 455 626 
 Total || 14 589 123 242 || - || 14 589 123 242 
3.2.2.     Technical assistance
Table 6 shows the commitment
appropriations for technical assistance consumed in 2012. The most important
part relates to European Network for Rural Development.
Table 6
 Technical assistance – Implementation of commitment appropriations 
 Budget Item: 05.040502 ||  (in €) 
 Description ||  Amount committed 
 Contact point of the European Network for rural Development (ENRD) || 3 653 202 
 Expert groups / Coordination committee / Seminars (ENRD) || 733 091 
 Information technology || 484 256 
 Studies, evaluations and controls || 336 912 
 European innovation partnership (EIP) || 2 500 000 
 Experts committee on the evaluation of rural development programmes || 200 000 
 Publications || 448 990 
 Total || 8 356 451 
3.3.        Implementation
of payment appropriations
3.3.1.     EAFRD
operational programmes
All the payments appropriations made available
in the voted and in the amending budget 2012, increased with a carryover and
assigned revenue from recoveries by respectively EUR 30.5 million and EUR 50.2
million, were used. Therefore at the end of 2012, the total amount paid for
EAFRD programmes was 
EUR 13 117 million. Payments made in 2012 increased more than 11% compared to 2011.
The table below
shows the breakdown of payments made in 2012 by declaration period :
Table 7
 Payments 2012 – EAFRD operational programmes million € 
 Reimbursement of payment claims Q2 2011 || 0.24 
 Reimbursement of payment claims Q3 2011 || 21.27 
 Reimbursement of payment claims Q4 2011 || 4 791.64 
 Reimbursement of payment claims Q1 2012 || 2 678.68 
 Reimbursement of payment claims Q2 2012 || 2 290.40 
 Reimbursement of payment claims Q3 2012 || 3 334.37 
 Total 2012 || 13 116.59 
The reimbursement of 3rd quarter 2012
for 85 EAFRD programmes was totally or partially on hold at the end of the year
mainly due to lack of available payment appropriations for 2012 (84
programmes), while in one case the outstanding commitment appropriations for
the programme were already fully exhausted by the payment of previous claims.
These payments had to wait until the annual commitments for 2013 were made. The
total amount of the delayed reimbursements was EUR 102 770 720. 
The monthly consumption of
payment appropriations during the year (January to December 2012) is
represented in the graph below. The rhythm of consumption is linked to the
calendar for sending the four payment declarations (31 January, 30 April, 31
July and 10 November for the payment claims corresponding respectively to Q4 2011,
Q1 2012, Q2 2012 and Q3 2012) in accordance to article 16(2) of Regulation (EC)
No 883/2006.
The graph shows that the
usual rhythm of monthly payments was influenced by the lack of cash available
to make effective payments. It imposed a delay on some reimbursements in the
first part of 2012 (January to April) and at the end of the year.
Graph 1
The breakdown per Member State and per
declaration period of the amounts paid by the Commission in budget year 2012 is
shown in table 8. The amounts in columns Q2 2011 and Q3 2011 relate to the
EAFRD programmes that exhausted their commitment appropriations for 2011 and
had to wait until 2012 to have their amounts reimbursed with the 2012
commitment appropriations.
Table 8
 Payments effectively made between 01/01/2012 and 31/12/2012 per declaration of expenditure ||   || (in €) 
 MS || Q2 2011 || Q3 2011 || Q4 2011 || Q1 2012 || Q2 2012 || Q3 2012 || Grand Total 
 AT ||   ||   || 339 835 564 || 139 697 338 || 31 933 696 || 24 465 055 || 535 931 653 
 BE || 238 128 || 14 772 928 || 11 497 842 || 12 178 694 || 26 270 648 || 3 539 841 || 68 498 081 
 BG ||   ||   || 210 676 032 || 15 967 518 || 31 326 369 || 48 822 491 || 306 792 409 
 CY ||   ||   || 5 200 274 || 7 073 565 || 4 091 052 || 3 492 786 || 19 857 677 
 CZ ||   ||   || 133 105 261 || 171 801 664 || 72 562 804 || 41 516 606 || 418 986 335 
 DE ||   || 1 870 550 || 556 278 613 || 202 150 446 || 111 758 291 || 438 968 630 || 1 311 026 530 
 DK ||   ||   || 21 975 476 || 13 263 700 || 11 468 475 || 15 933 448 || 62 641 099 
 EE ||   ||   || 24 066 138 || 63 537 223 || 21 450 274 || 20 189 518 || 129 243 153 
 ES ||   ||   || 317 102 417 || 176 116 735 || 174 349 826 || 153 550 836 || 821 119 814 
 FI ||   ||   || 80 176 727 || 19 803 782 || 21 646 087 || 180 696 236 || 302 322 832 
 FR ||   ||   || 380 108 903 || 133 274 883 || 95 288 904 || 324 499 156 || 933 171 846 
 GR ||   ||   || 31 953 736 || 33 894 975 || 90 847 036 || 174 118 800 || 330 814 548 
 HU ||   ||   || 120 237 858 || 155 121 913 || 85 933 968 || 80 089 047 || 441 382 786 
 IE ||   || 3 625 235 || 120 969 428 || 47 070 974 || 30 903 725 || 123 113 611 || 325 682 973 
 IT ||   ||   || 637 934 482 || 175 523 320 || 207 667 437 || 286 707 609 || 1 307 832 848 
 LT ||   ||   || 93 784 089 || 42 016 806 || 45 213 902 || 54 252 517 || 235 267 314 
 LU ||   || 1 000 617 || 3 086 330 || 4 951 958 || 779 461 || 544 375 || 10 362 740 
 LV ||   ||   || 68 803 133 || 61 997 513 || 36 064 210 || 46 363 800 || 213 228 656 
 MT ||   ||   || 3 334 714 || 1 793 606 || 2 072 027 || 1 742 217 || 8 942 564 
 NL ||   ||   || 28 774 676 || 15 583 856 || 31 663 289 || 26 269 263 || 102 291 084 
 PL ||   ||   || 534 909 344 || 594 250 418 || 465 694 607 || 432 184 275 || 2 027 038 643 
 PT ||   ||   || 194 440 253 || 83 985 605 || 160 262 095 || 240 591 316 || 679 279 269 
 RO ||   ||   || 461 201 200 || 203 648 532 || 214 138 413 || 222 931 759 || 1 101 919 904 
 SE ||   ||   || 75 751 485 || 42 729 762 || 31 580 078 || 143 133 180 || 293 194 504 
 SI ||   ||   || 37 311 422 || 25 154 920 || 43 676 243 || 15 923 162 || 122 065 747 
 SK ||   ||   || 110 295 335 || 30 906 538 || 74 518 791 || 57 222 411 || 272 943 075 
 UK ||   ||   || 188 825 347 || 205 179 330 || 167 239 518 || 173 509 942 || 734 754 138 
 Total || 238 128 || 21 269 330 || 4 791 636 079 || 2 678 675 574 || 2 290 401 225 || 3 334 371 887 || 13 116 592 223 
The total amount paid in 2012 EUR 13 117 million
relates to reimbursements only. No advances were paid in 2012.
Table 9 on the next page compares, for each
Member State, the EAFRD payments made in 2012 with the payments in 2011. The
total payments increased by 11.2% (EUR 13.12 billion vs. 11.79 billion).
Table 9
 Payments made to Member States - Comparison 2012 vs 2011   ||   ||   || (in €) ||   
 MS || 2011 || 2012 || Difference 2012 vs. 2011 
 Interim payments || Prefinancing || Total || Interim payments || Prefinancing || Total || (in €) || (in %) 
 AT || 560 505 171 || - || 560 505 171 || 535 931 653 || - || 535 931 653 || -24 573 517 || -4,4% 
 BE || 74 909 464 || - || 74 909 464 || 68 498 081 || - || 68 498 081 || -6 411 383 || -8,6% 
 BG || 123 262 579 || - || 123 262 579 || 306 792 409 || - || 306 792 409 || 183 529 830 || 148,9% 
 CY || 17 962 016 || - || 17 962 016 || 19 857 677 || - || 19 857 677 || 1 895 660 || 10,6% 
 CZ || 448 149 474 || - || 448 149 474 || 418 986 335 || - || 418 986 335 || -29 163 139 || -6,5% 
 DE || 1 152 971 166 || - || 1 152 971 166 || 1 311 026 530 || - || 1 311 026 530 || 158 055 364 || 13,7% 
 DK || 49 994 154 || - || 49 994 154 || 62 641 099 || - || 62 641 099 || 12 646 945 || 25,3% 
 EE || 106 899 928 || - || 106 899 928 || 129 243 153 || - || 129 243 153 || 22 343 224 || 20,9% 
 ES || 981 011 118 || - || 981 011 118 || 821 119 814 || - || 821 119 814 || -159 891 304 || -16,3% 
 FI || 282 478 090 || - || 282 478 090 || 302 322 832 || - || 302 322 832 || 19 844 743 || 7,0% 
 FR || 740 672 381 || - || 740 672 381 || 933 171 846 || - || 933 171 846 || 192 499 465 || 26,0% 
 GR || 414 332 054 || - || 414 332 054 || 330 814 548 || - || 330 814 548 || -83 517 506 || -20,2% 
 HU || 432 685 163 || - || 432 685 163 || 441 382 786 || - || 441 382 786 || 8 697 623 || 2,0% 
 IE || 348 090 588 || - || 348 090 588 || 325 682 973 || - || 325 682 973 || -22 407 615 || -6,4% 
 IT || 1 103 141 274 || - || 1 103 141 274 || 1 307 832 848 || - || 1 307 832 848 || 204 691 574 || 18,6% 
 LT || 248 716 280 || - || 248 716 280 || 235 267 314 || - || 235 267 314 || -13 448 966 || -5,4% 
 LU || 13 287 289 || - || 13 287 289 || 10 362 740 || - || 10 362 740 || -2 924 549 || -22,0% 
 LV || 159 845 406 || - || 159 845 406 || 213 228 656 || - || 213 228 656 || 53 383 250 || 33,4% 
 MT || 7 372 000 || - || 7 372 000 || 8 942 564 || - || 8 942 564 || 1 570 564 || 21,3% 
 NL || 55 781 898 || - || 55 781 898 || 102 291 084 || - || 102 291 084 || 46 509 185 || 83,4% 
 PL || 1 753 101 711 || - || 1 753 101 711 || 2 027 038 643 || - || 2 027 038 643 || 273 936 933 || 15,6% 
 PT || 488 207 992 || - || 488 207 992 || 679 279 269 || - || 679 279 269 || 191 071 277 || 39,1% 
 RO || 894 923 044 || - || 894 923 044 || 1 101 919 904 || - || 1 101 919 904 || 206 996 859 || 23,1% 
 SE || 276 259 926 || - || 276 259 926 || 293 194 504 || - || 293 194 504 || 16 934 578 || 6,1% 
 SI || 111 811 978 || - || 111 811 978 || 122 065 747 || - || 122 065 747 || 10 253 769 || 9,2% 
 SK || 345 897 828 || - || 345 897 828 || 272 943 075 || - || 272 943 075 || -72 954 753 || -21,1% 
 UK || 601 730 275 || - || 601 730 275 || 734 754 138 || - || 734 754 138 || 133 023 863 || 22,1% 
 Total || 11 794 000 249 || - || 11 794 000 249 || 13 116 592 223 || - || 13 116 592 223 || 1 322 591 975 || 11,2% 
3.3.2.     Technical
assistance
In the 2012 budget the amount for payment
appropriations was EUR 7.5 million. The table hereafter presents the payments
for technical assistance for a total amount of EUR 5.1 million. The most
important part is related to European Network for Rural Development A
significant part of the unsued appropriations concerns the network facility of
the European Innovation Partnership for which no payment could be made because the
commitments were made late in the year; thus postponing the effective
implementation to 2013.
Table 10 
 Technical assistance – Implementation of payment appropriations 
 Budget Item: 05.040502 || (in €) 
 Description || Amount paid 
 Contact point of the European Network for Rural Development (ENRD) || 3 502 642 
 Expert groups / Coordination committee / Seminars (ENRD) || 601 045 
 Information technology || 470 465 
 Experts committee on the evaluation of rural development programmes || 59 298 
 Studies, evaluations and controls || 188 300 
 Publications || 259 964 
 Total || 5 081 714 
3.4.        Analysis
of expenditure declared by axis and by measure
Table 11 shows the payment claims declared by
Member state and by axis/measure for rural development in 2012 (Q4 2011 to Q3
2012), the cumulative declared expenditure from 2007 to 2012 (Q4 2006 to Q3 2012)
and also the financial plans of EAFRD programmes (2007-2013; EU27).
In 2012, the expenditure continues to be
concentrated in axis 2 (45.6%), followed by axis 1 with 32.3%, axis 3 with 15.3%
and axis 4 with 5.4%. This repartition of expenditure still diverges somewhat
with the repartition in the financial plans for the 2007-2013 programming
period (33.1%, 45.2%, 13.4% and 6.3% for axis 1 to 4 respectively). 
Axis 2 measures mainly involve annual payments
(e.g. agro-environmental measures) whilst Axis 1, 3 and, to a lesser extent,
Axis 4 mainly relate to multi-annual measures that require longer proceedings
for their approval and implementation (e.g. investment projects). 
The expenditure in 2012 is more balanced among axes
and the share of each axis tends to get closer to the share in the financial
plans. For instance, Axis 2 decreases from 47.9% in 2011 to 45.6% in 2012 while
Axis 1 and 4 increase from 31.7% and 4.3% in 2011 to 32.3% and 5.4% in 2012
respectively.
Table 11
 EAFRD declared expenditure 2012 (Q4 2011-Q3 2012) & Total cumulative expenditure (Q4 2006 to Q3 2012) 
 compared with Financial Plans* 
   || Declared expenditure 2012 (Q4 2011 to Q3 2012) || Cumulative declared expenditure (Q4 2006 to Q3 2012) || Financial Plans 2007-2013 
 EAFRD Axis / Measure ||  (million €) || (%) ||  (million €) || (%) ||  (million €) || (%) 
 111 Vocational training and information actions || 124,4 || 0,9% || 261,8 || 0,7% || 954,3 || 1,0% 
 112 Setting up of young farmers || 391,8 || 3,0% || 1312,4 || 3,3% || 2 877,3 || 3,0% 
 113 Early retirement || 330,8 || 2,5% || 1371,7 || 3,5% || 2 510,2 || 2,6% 
 114 Use of advisory services || 24,3 || 0,2% || 38,3 || 0,1% || 277,5 || 0,3% 
 115 Setting up of management, relief and .... || 8,5 || 0,1% || 10,6 || 0,0% || 64,0 || 0,1% 
 121 Modernisation of agricultural holdings || 1692,9 || 12,8% || 5040,4 || 12,7% || 11 582,0 || 12,0% 
 122 Improvement of the economic value of forest || 45,5 || 0,3% || 121,3 || 0,3% || 514,4 || 0,5% 
 123 Adding value to agricultural and forestry... || 764,6 || 5,8% || 1649,9 || 4,2% || 5 622,7 || 5,8% 
 124 Cooperation for development of new products || 36,2 || 0,3% || 39,6 || 0,1% || 325,1 || 0,3% 
 125 Infrastructure related to the development … || 557,7 || 4,2% || 1189,3 || 3,0% || 4 782,3 || 5,0% 
 126 Restoring agricultural production potential || 86,3 || 0,7% || 184,0 || 0,5% || 601,4 || 0,6% 
 131 Meeting standards based on Community... || 5,7 || 0,0% || 49,9 || 0,1% || 70,5 || 0,1% 
 132 Participation of farmers in food quality… || 17,1 || 0,1% || 31,9 || 0,1% || 150,0 || 0,2% 
 133 Information and promotion activities || 19,8 || 0,1% || 26,9 || 0,1% || 172,5 || 0,2% 
 141 Semi-subsistence farming || 63,9 || 0,5% || 472,0 || 1,2% || 883,9 || 0,9% 
 142 Producer groups || 37,0 || 0,3% || 81,3 || 0,2% || 234,2 || 0,2% 
 143 Direct Payment (BG + RO) || 3,6 || 0,0% || 2,3 || 0,0% || 15,8 || 0,0% 
 144 Holdings undergoing restructuring || 64,3 || 0,5% || 68,4 || 0,2% || 197,5 || 0,2% 
 Axis 1 || 4 274,4 || 32,3% || 11 952,1 || 30,2% || 31 835,5 || 33,1% 
 211 Natural handicap payments to farmers in ... || 1025,0 || 7,7% || 4 160,9 || 10,5% || 6 555,0 || 6,8% 
 212 Payments to farmers in areas with handicaps... || 1038,0 || 7,8% || 4 325,5 || 10,9% || 7 341,8 || 7,6% 
 213 Natura 2000 payments and payments linked .. || 39,6 || 0,3% || 85,5 || 0,2% || 633,5 || 0,7% 
 214 Agri-environment payments || 3231,0 || 24,4% || 12 030,1 || 30,4% || 22 745,3 || 23,6% 
 215 Animal welfare payments || 95,4 || 0,7% || 207,9 || 0,5% || 716,5 || 0,7% 
 216 Non-productive investments || 91,7 || 0,7% || 124,0 || 0,3% || 570,3 || 0,6% 
 221 First afforestation of agricultural land || 201,9 || 1,5% || 829,1 || 2,1% || 2 068,7 || 2,1% 
 222 First establishment of agroforestry systems... || 0,3 || 0,0% || 0,0 || 0,0% || 11,7 || 0,0% 
 223 First afforestation of non-agricultural land || 25,3 || 0,2% || 65,5 || 0,2% || 267,2 || 0,3% 
 224 Natura 2000 payments || 5,7 || 0,0% || 11,9 || 0,0% || 67,5 || 0,1% 
 225 Forest-environment payments || 9,2 || 0,1% || 20,3 || 0,1% || 193,7 || 0,2% 
 226 Restoring forestry potential and … || 204,2 || 1,5% || 559,1 || 1,4% || 1 573,8 || 1,6% 
 227 Non-productive investments || 74,8 || 0,6% || 185,5 || 0,5% || 749,2 || 0,8% 
 Axis 2 || 6 041,93 || 45,6% || 22 605,41 || 57,0% || 43 494,16 || 45,2% 
 311 Diversification into non-agricultural activities || 191,1 || 1,4% || 339,0 || 0,9% || 1 274,5 || 1,3% 
 312 Business creation and development || 258,6 || 2,0% || 373,7 || 0,9% || 2 091,2 || 2,2% 
 313 Encouragement of tourism activities || 116,7 || 0,9% || 225,3 || 0,6% || 1 252,2 || 1,3% 
 321 Basic services for the economy and rural … || 629,9 || 4,8% || 771,5 || 1,9% || 3 408,2 || 3,5% 
 322 Village renewal and development || 647,2 || 4,9% || 1148,8 || 2,9% || 3 345,6 || 3,5% 
 323 Conservation and upgrading of the rural.... || 159,2 || 1,2% || 339,7 || 0,9% || 1 253,7 || 1,3% 
 331 Training and information || 13,2 || 0,1% || 29,9 || 0,1% || 113,6 || 0,1% 
 341 Skills acquisition, animation and implement... || 12,2 || 0,1% || 51,7 || 0,1% || 129,7 || 0,1% 
 Axis 3 || 2 028,00 || 15,3% || 3 279,6 || 8,3% || 12 868,7 || 13,4% 
 411 Implementing local development strategies... || 30,6 || 0,2% || 53,4 || 0,1% || 553,1 || 0,6% 
 412 Implementing local development strategies... || 5,0 || 0,0% || 5,8 || 0,0% || 165,7 || 0,2% 
 413 Implementing local development strategies.... || 530,9 || 4,0% || 552,8 || 1,4% || 4065,2 || 4,2% 
 421 Implementing cooperation projects || 15,3 || 0,1% || 12,4 || 0,0% || 267,1 || 0,3% 
 431 Running the local action group, acquiring ... || 132,0 || 1,0% || 265,4 || 0,7% || 1002,5 || 1,0% 
 Axis 4 || 713,8 || 5,4% || 889,8 || 2,2% || 6 053,6 || 6,3% 
 511 Technical Assistance || 179,2 || 1,4% || 463,0 || 1,2% || 1537,3 || 1,6% 
 611 BG RO Direct Payments || -0,5 || 0,0% || 437,8 || 1,1% || 459,4 || 0,5% 
 Grand total || 13 236,9 || 100,0% || 39 627,8 || 100,0% || 96 248,7 || 100,0% 
*Member States declare
their expenditure quarterly. However for year n, Q4 declarations are submitted
in January of year n+1. Consequently, the corresponding reimbursements by the
Commission to the Member States in year n go from Q4 of year n-1 until Q3 of
year n.
3.5         Implementation
of EAFRD programmes
Graph 2 on the next page presents the financial
implementation rate of rural development programmes per Member State: payments
from the beginning of the programming period to 2012, including Q4 2012 that is
reimbursed in financial year 2013, compared with the 2007-2012 commitments
according to the financial plan. The average EAFRD financial implementation
rate for all EAFRD programmes is 78%.
Graph 2 shows that most Member States have
absorbed more than 75% of the 
2007-2012 commitments.
Until the end of 2012 the application of the
N+2 rule has resulted in relatively small decommitments for three rural
development programmes. Those decommmitments amount in total to EUR 7.4 million
and relate to years 2008 and 2009. Decommitments in relation to year 2010 will
be made in 2013.