Aid for alpine farming – restoration of mountain pastures – 2023

The term ‘mountain pasture’ or “mountain pasture” refers to a system comprising the grazing area and the facilities for sheltering livestock and the staff responsible for their care. 

These areas are all situated at high altitudes, ranging from a minimum of 1,000 metres to a maximum of 2,500 metres above sea level, and are spread across the whole of Trentino, in its various valleys; they are predominantly publicly owned.

The Trentino livestock farming system has always been characterised by a duration of approximately 80 to 110 days per year (from early June to mid-September).

 Below are some clarifications regarding this call for applications:

 Cumulation and expenditure limits – 2023 Alpine farming call for applications  Eligibility criteria and eligible costs – 2023 Alpine farming call for applications  Ineligible costs – 2023 Alpine beekeeping call for applications  Level of public funding and priority criteria – 2023 beekeeping grants  Amendments – 2023 beekeeping call for applications  Payment arrangements – 2023 Alpine beekeeping call for applications

The mountain pastures benefiting from the provincial grant and the associated grazing land must be used in accordance with the technical and economic specifications and the guidelines approved byProvincial Executive Resolution No. 731 of 6 May 2015.

Verification of thede minimisaid received by the beneficiary will be carried out ex officio via the national database on State aid.

The award of the grant entailsan obligationon the part of the beneficiarynot todispose of, transferorotherwise divert from their intended purpose the assetsfor which the grant was awarded forat least 10 years, in accordance with Article 6 of Provincial Law 4/03. The period commences on the date of the application for final payment of the grant.

In the event of failure to comply with the period referred to in the preceding paragraph, beneficiaries are required, except in cases of force majeure, to repay the grant awarded in proportion to the remaining duration of the current period.

The remaining duration is calculated from the date on which the circumstances leading to the revocation of the grant are ascertained until the end of the relevant period. The corresponding amount is to be repaid with interest at the statutory rate from the date on which the payment was debited.

The beneficiary of the grant must, in any event, allow staff responsible for monitoring compliance with current legislation free access to the premises and documentation relating to the subject matter of the grant awarded.

Checks on compliance with the obligations imposed on applicants under Article 6 of Provincial Law No. 4/2003 shall be carried out on a sample representing 5 per cent of the projects subject to conditions, in accordance with the relevant provincial regulations in force, for the duration of the grant. Checks on self-certification declarations and affidavits will be carried out on a sample of at least 5 per cent of the applications, in accordance with the relevant provincial regulations in force.

Enterprises subject to a pending recovery order following a previous Commission decision declaring the aid unlawful and incompatible with the internal marketare noteligible for aid.

Undertakings in difficulty as defined in Article 1(5) of Regulation (EU) No 2472/2022 are not eligible for aid.

In addition, the following documentation must be attached to the application:

1. a complete, approved project with a valid planning permission for the execution of the works (the details of the planning permission must be indicated in the grant application), including a map extract of the plots, a site plan and photographic documentation;

2. a bill of quantities for the works, signed by a qualified engineer, drawn up in accordance with the items in the price list for public works drawn up by the Autonomous Province of Trento or, for items not included therein, on the basis of the price lists published by the Chamber of Commerce;

3. in the case of public bodies, the special tender specifications or a similar document, complete with a list of unit prices;

4. a technical report describing the works to be carried out, specifying the land parcels concerned, signed at the bottom by a qualified technician;

5. a declaration by the designer regarding the need to draw up the safety plan referred to in Legislative Decree 81/08, as subsequently amended and supplemented;

6. for entities managing and administering public and collective property, a resolution by the competent body approving the initiative and undertaking to grant a ten-year concession to livestock farmers.

Following the approval of Resolution No. 1587 of 4 October 2024 , applications ranked below position No. 7 onthe priority list will be funded. 

This will proceed subject to a request for confirmation of interest in funding the application, to be submitted to the Agriculture Department in accordance with the procedures that will be communicated to the applicants themselves; subsequently, an updated priority ranking list will be drawn up based on the applicants’ confirmations of interest.

Furthermore, any savings arising from the assessment of applications included in the priority ranking at positions eligible for funding may be used to continue funding subsequent applications up to position No. 33, in order of priority, subject to confirmation of interest in funding the application, in accordance with the prescribed procedures.

To this end, no further ranking list will be approved, but this will be noted in the grant decision.