Biophysical criteria application for delimitation of areas with natural constrains (ANC) in Slovakia

The paper represents the final version of a redefinition of Areas with Natural Constrains (ANC) of the Slovak Republic according to the new rules of the European Commission (EC) by Article 32 and 33. Joint Research Centre EC (JRC) in Ispra has identified 8 biophysical criteria: two climatic criteria, four soil criteria, one integrated criterion (climate and soil) and a slope as a topographic criterion. Applying the guidelines of the EC, assessment of all biophysical criteria were processed and 5 criteria were acknowledged for Slovakian conditions. In addition, a new aggregate criterion was proposed and approved by JRC. All municipalities of the Slovakia (a level NUTS 5) containing the current database of the Statistical Office were included into the simulation. In each municipality, area of Land Parcel Identification System to be eligible for EU subsidy payments was identified. A GIS algorithm was used to calculate the share of agricultural land which meets the biophysical criteria at the level of 60% municipality area, i.e. data on the soil and landscape were converted into a grid with a spatial resolution of 20 m. A new aggregate criterion is based on the assumption that there is possible to identify spatial pattern of each of the individual criteria, avoiding the case, that the same area could be counted twice. The last version of the methodology was approved by JRC commission EC and Map of the ANC serves as a basis for the farmer´s payment subsidies in the frame of EAFRD (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development).