Within
the framework of the Integrated Administrative and
Control System (IACS) which form the basis for managing
subsidies allocated to producers as part of the CAP,
complete Land Parcel Identification Systems (LPIS)
should be implemented in the different member countries
by 1 January 2005. (Council Reg. 1593/00). These
systems will combine a complete coverage of the territory
with the help of “orthophotoplans” or
high precision satellite images with a georeferenced
vectorial parcel delineation. A unique identification
number will be given to each parcel in order to
provide a unique identification in space and time.
This information will be updated regularly in order
to monitor the evolution of the land cover and the
management of the crops. In this respect, all of the
IACS systems used by the different member states should
be complete geographical information systems that make
it possible to check the information declared and the
agro-environmental activities of the farmers.
The knowledge regarding the agricultural territory
that will be obtained by updating these tools,
with an unequalled level of detail, will result
in a considerably improved decision support tool
for policies governing agricultural management,
land and the environment. The use of this information
in connection with the LPIS geomatic references
in order to provide solutions for the traceability
of agricultural products constitutes a new opportunity
to reinforce the competitiveness of EU agriculture.
In addition to the production aspect, agriculture
is expected to carry out activities related to
the management and maintenance of rural space,
and even the protection of the quality of the environment.
A range of proposals covering the improvement of
the impact of the CAP on the environment has been
progressively implemented in the different European
countries. The agro-environmental programmes are
the key strategies integrating the environment
as part of the agricultural policy.
A further objective of the GTIS CAP project, in
addition to provide the above extension, is to
set up prototypes and define integrated geo-traceability
systems which, while fulfilling the PAC management,
follow-up and monitoring objectives will provide
an added value to producers in managing their farms.
