Beneficiaries

Olive growers, active farmers - individual farmers and farmers' associations - located in areas infected by Xylella fastidiosa may apply for support. 

The boundaries of the infected area are periodically updated by the Puglia Region, based on the progress or regress of the disease, as provided for in the Implementing Decision 2015/789/EU of the European Commission and subsequent amendments and additions. 

Applicants must 

• be in compliance with social security, welfare and insurance payments and obligations; 
• present a business plan; 
• have a standard production of not less than 8,000 euros, of which at least 2,000 euros attributable to olive oil groves; 
• not be a firm in difficulty; 
• not having committed serious crimes against the State or the European Community.

Objectives

Improving the competitiveness and sustainability of olive farms located in the area infected by Xylella fastidiosa. 

The investments must: 

• encourage the varietal conversion and crop diversification of regional agricultural products; 
• expand the supply and increasing the added value of agricultural enterprises through the horizontal integration of activities and production; 
• improve the environmental sustainability of the company's production activities; 
• encourage the use of renewable energy sources such as biomass, without however resorting to dedicated crops; 
• optimise the consumption of the company's water networks. 

Selection principles

The evaluation of submeasure 4.1.C provides for a subdivision into macro-criteria, a threshold score of 30 and a maximum score of up to 100 points, defined as follows:

• Territorial scopes, with a maximum score of 40 points 
  • with the location of interventions in rural areas according to the production sector concerned, according to the priorities specified in the paragraph of the notice "Description of the focus of support", with a maximum score of 5 points;
  • established impact of the financial damage caused by Xylella fastidiosa subspecies pauca strain CoDiRO on the olive population, with a maximum score of 35 points.
     
• Type of operations activated, with maximum score attributable to 22 points, divided in turn into: 
  • increase, compared to the situation prior to the investment, in the economic performance of the company, determined by the investment made (max 10 points);
  • investments related to irrigation with water savings above the minimum threshold (max 12 points).
     
• Beneficiaries (with a maximum attributable score of 38) and sub-contribution specified as follows:
  • production sector concerned by the measures, in accordance with the priorities specified in the section of the notice entitled 'Description of the focus of support' (maximum points 15);
  • economic size of the company, measured in terms of Standard Production, with a selective bonus for the companies most likely to increase competitiveness. This bonus will be applied by a PS before intervention of 25,000 euro and with a decreasing modality up to a PS of 150,000 euro (max 8 points);
  • adherence to the quality schemes of the Measure (max 3 points);
  • type of applicant, with a bonus to the Professional Agricultural Entrepreneur (IAP). For the assignment of these points to a farmers' association, all the companies participating in the collective project must possess the requirement (max 15 points).
     

Eligible expenditure

The financing covers the costs incurred for: 

• construction and modernisation of rural buildings for agricultural and livestock production purposes; 
• purchasing or leasing-purchasing of new machinery, equipment and computer applications; 
• company biomass storage facilities; 
• investments to improve the energy efficiency of rural productive agricultural buildings; 
• planting of tree crops; 
• innovative systems, machines and equipment for irrigation efficiency; 
• creation of distribution networks and collection reservoirs; 
• rainwater collection reservoirs with a volume of less than 250,000 cubic meters; 
• purchasing of agricultural land; 
• storage facilities for agricultural products; 
• innovative plant, machinery and equipment for investments in short supply chains. 

Type of support

The aid is granted in the form of a capital and/or interest subsidy.