1.6 Review of evaluations of LFA payment schemes in Member States
1.6.1 Extent of Less favoured Areas in the EU
The area and share of total Less Favoured Areas varies considerably across the European Union with Spain in poll position followed by the United Kingdom (Table 1.11).
Table 1.11: Less Favoured Areas across EU Member States
Member State | Area receiving compensatory
allowances ('000 ha) | % of total |
|---|
Belgium | NA | NA |
|---|
Denmark | 24 | 0.1 |
|---|
Germany | 4582 | 13.8 |
|---|
Greece | 1860 | 5.6 |
|---|
Spain | 7662 | 23.0 |
|---|
France | 4403 | 13.2 |
|---|
Ireland | 2614 | 7.9 |
|---|
Italy | 675 | 2.0 |
|---|
Luxembourg | 118 | 0.4 |
|---|
Netherlands | 20 | 0.1 |
|---|
Austria | 1527 | 4.6 |
|---|
Portugal | 781 | 2.3 |
|---|
Finland | 2169 | 6.5 |
|---|
Sweden | 554 | 1.7 |
|---|
United Kingdom | 6263 | 18.8 |
|---|
Total | 33252 | 100.0 |
|---|
Source: Europa (2005) 22
However, as a proportion of the total Utilised Agriculture Area, the rankings change (table 12). Even within Member States there is no uniform distribution of LFAs and particular regions with high levels of LFA are easily discernible. Within the UK, Scotland and Wales are two such regions. While the whole of Finnish agriculture operates on LFA status land, there are graduations in compensatory allowances there which reflect even poorer distinctions in land quality.
Table 12: Less Favoured Areas as a proportion of Utilised Agricultural Area in selected Member States
Member State / Region | LFA as % of UAA |
|---|
Finland | 100 |
|---|
Scotland | 83 |
|---|
Spain | 80 |
|---|
Wales | 79 |
|---|
Austria | 71 |
|---|
Northern Ireland | 70 |
|---|
Greece | 69 |
|---|
Germany | 50 |
|---|
France | 44 |
|---|
England | 16 |
|---|
Sources: CJC Consulting et al (2003) 23, DEFRA (2005) 24