Baseline information on agricultural practices in the EU ... - Europabio

The main overall objective of EU water policy is to ensure access to good quality water in sufficient
quantity for all Europeans, and to ensure the good status of all water bodies across Europe. While
Europe is by large considered as having adequate water resources, water scarcity and drought is an
increasingly frequent and widespread phenomenon in the EU, as it is worldwide. This major challenge
has been recognised in the Communication “Addressing the challenge of water scarcity and droughts"
from the European Commission 28 adopted in 2007.
Based on the results of a workshop on farm advisory and water protection organized by DG
Environment in October 2009 in Brussels, a handbook of ideas for administrations about integrating
water issues in farm advisory services was developed. The handbook 29 confirms that as the use of
water for irrigation contributes to increase water scarcity, especially in southern Europe. Crop
selection (water needs of the plants) irrigation technology and irrigation management are identified as
sources of the problem.
Good farming practices in relation to irrigation methods and equipment are addressed in the codes of
good farming practice as part of their rural development programmes in Spain, Greece, Portugal and
France where the scale of irrigation is significantly greater than in northern countries (EEA, 2005). For
instance, in Spain the National Irrigation Plan (PNR), which was passed by Royal Decree 329/2002
(valid until 2008), followed by an Emergency Plan (Royal Decree 287/2006), aimed to modernise
Spanish irrigation. As a result 41.6% of irrigation area currently uses drip irrigation. More than 60% of
irrigated land in Spain has improved its efficiency in recent years (OECD, 2008).
28 COM (2007)414
29 Berglund M., Dworak T. (2010) Integrating water issues in Farm advisory services - A Handbook of
ideas for administrations.
Page 55 of 64