Environmental regulations and conditionality in agriculture

Modern agriculture is driven within a tight network of environmental regulations. These are designed to protect the aquatic environment, nature and biodiversity from the impact of fertilisation, soil cultivation and livestock. For the farmer, regulations are not just an obligation but also a condition for receiving agricultural support — and losing support due to rule violations can cost far more than the individual violation itself. Therefore, knowledge of regulations is a core competency on par with cultivation and livestock.

§Conditionality — support for counter-performance

Conditionality is the principle that you must comply with a number of requirements for the environment, climate, animal welfare and public health to receive full agricultural support under the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. If you do not comply with the requirements, the support can be reduced. Conditionality brings together what was previously called, among other things, cross-compliance, and is administered in Denmark by the Agricultural Agency. The system is checked by both administrative control and field control.

§GLM — good agricultural and environmental status

A key part of conditionality is the GLM requirements (good agricultural and environmental condition). They set how the land must be maintained and how nature and landscape features must be protected. This includes topics such as:

• 01Protection of wetlands and carbon-rich soils.
• 02Preservation of landscape features such as hedges, small biotopes and the like, and a ban on pruning during the birds' breeding season.
• 03Protection of soil against erosion and against lying bare during risk periods.
• 04Strips along waterways and lakes where cultivation and fertilisation are limited.
• 05A minimum share of non-productive elements and areas for the benefit of biodiversity.

§Fertiliser and nutrients

Fertilisation is regulated because nitrogen and phosphorus can leach into the aquatic environment and cause oxygen depletion and algal growth. The farm must work according to a fertilisation plan and keep fertilisation accounts. The regulation includes, among other things, nitrogen standards for individual crops manure requirements for how much animal manure may be applied per area fixed application periods and requirements for catch crops that absorb nitrogen in the autumn. The principle is that the supply should match the crop's actual needs.

§Nature, edge zones and protected areas

Certain nature types — for example heaths moors meadows overgrazed areas and salt marshes above a certain size — are protected so they cannot be cultivated or changed in condition. Along designated watercourses and lakes there are requirements for strips where soil processing and fertilization are limited so nutrients and soil are not washed directly into the water. The owner or operator of the land is responsible for knowing where these areas are located and complying with the restrictions.

§Documentation and control

The rules are followed by documentation requirements. You must be able to present fertiliser accounts, spray logs, field maps and relevant records upon inspection. Good and continuous documentation is not just a duty – it's also the farmer's own proof that the farm is run correctly, and it makes it much easier to handle an inspection without problems.

“Many violations of agricultural rules are not due to ill will but lack of clarity about which rules apply right here right now. An updated field map and a well-kept journal prevent most violations.”

— Professional guidance

The rules change from year to year, and it is the individual's responsibility to stay informed. Actively use government guidance and professional advice, and ask once too many rather than assume that last year's rules still apply.