GLOBAL OVERVIEW SUPPORT FOR IACS IN ROMANIA

1
GLOBAL OVERVIEW SUPPORT FOR IACS IN ROMANIA
A STRONG TWINNING PARTNERSHIP SINCE 2004

• Final Meeting 28.02.2008, Bucharest, Romania

2
design of AN iacs in romania
Phare Projects in the Field of IACS

• German-french consortium
• Project period 2004-2006
• THE TEAM
• Romanian Project Leaders Mr. Valeriu STERIU Mr.
  Mugur CRACIUN
• German Project Leader Mr. Volkmar MEISLAHN
• PHARE Implementation Unit Coordinator Ms.
  Marisanda PIRIIANU
• Pre-Accession Adviser (PAA) Mr. Dieter GOERTZ

Mr. Volkmar Meislahn, Project Leader
3
design of AN iacs in romania
Phare Projects in the Field of IACS

• THE input
• 26 different activities, covering 4 components
• 19 months of permanent on-site assistance
  provided by the Pre-Accession Adviser (PAA)
• 39 Short Term Missions
• 158,5 expert-days provided by German and French
  Short-Term Experts
• 2 study visits (in France and Slovak Republic)
  provided for the PIAA staff
• Over 200 meetings of the working-groups

Mr. Dieter Goertz, RTAMs. Mara Gherbea, Project
Assistant Mr. Volkmar Meislahn, Project
Leader planning the project activities for the
week ahead
4
design of AN iacs in romania
Phare Projects in the Field of IACS

• THE input (cont.)
• 70 weekly management-meetings and countless
  bilateral meetings
• 10 workshops on specific topics, attended by both
  PIAA staff-members and other stakeholders
• PAA provided assistance throughout all the CE
  peer-review missions on IACS
• Pilot-project for physical block digitization in
  3 Communes (Francesti VL, Lupsanu CL, Nuci IL)
  funded by the Twinning
• Pilot projects for Farm Registration and Parcel
  Identification in Nuci, IL Lupsanu, CL and
  Francesti, VL
• 6 PAA/STE visits to county or local offices of
  the PIAA.

5
further support for the full implementation of
iacs in romania
Phare Projects in the Field of IACS

• German-italian consortium
• Project period 2006-2008
• THE TEAM
• Romanian Project Leaders State Secretary - Mr.
  Mugur CRACIUN, General Director for European
  Affairs Ms. Roxana ZARMA
• German Project Leader Mr. Volkmar MEISLAHN
• PHARE Implementation Unit Coordinator Ms.
  Marisanda PIRIIANU
• Resident Twinning Adviser (RTA) Mr. Dieter
  GOERTZ

Mr. Dieter Goertz, RTA
6
further support for the full implementation of
iacs in romania
Phare Projects in the Field of IACS

• THE input
• 750 expert-days implemented by experts from
  Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, France,
  Slovakia and Italy
• 24 months of permanent on-site assistance
  provided by the Resident Twinning Adviser (RTA)

Training session on Application Campaign 2007
7
further support for the full implementation of
iacs in romania
Phare Projects in the Field of IACS

• THE input
• Over 2000 trainee-days
• 3 pilot projects, funded by the Twinning
• Performance of OTS controls (Lupsanu CL and Valea
  Calugareasca PH)
• Testing of all PIAA procedures (Lupsanu CL and
  Valea Calugareasca PH)
• Identification of Error Sources of
  overdeclarations

Training session on OTS Control Campaign 2007
8
further support for the full implementation of
iacs in romania
Phare Projects in the Field of IACS

• THE input (cont.)
• 4 study visits (Germany, France, Czech Republic
  and Poland) for PIAA staff members
• Approx. 400 working-group meetings
• Workshops on
• Parcel Identification
• Elaboration of Good Agricultural and Evironment
  Conditions (GAEC) in Romania
• Control with Remote Sensing
• On the Spot Control methods and equipment
• 4 meetings with all 42 county office directors of
  the PIAA
• 1 support web-site based on SharePoint technology
• 1 web-based technical assistance hot-line

Romanian PIAA staff during a study visit in the
Czech Republic
9
DEVELOPMENT OF IACS 2004-2008
Phare Projects in the Field of IACS
10
2004 - THE BEGINNING
Design and Implementation of IACS in Romania A
timeline

• April Finalization of the pre-accession
  negotiations, financial envelope for agriculture
  established, including the phasing-in plan.
• July Beginning of the Romanian-German-French
  Twinning Project Design of an IACS in Romania
  

Ms. Adriana Chirea, Ms. Mariana Draghici, Mr.
Alexandru Constantinescu, Mr. Florin Bogdan the
Founding Parents of PIAA, during a training
session by the Project
11
2004 - THE BEGINNING
Design and Implementation of IACS in Romania A
timeline

• August Results of JRC sponsored pilot project on
  LPIS, implemented by CRUTA (3 communes, satellite
  images and orthophoto)
• September First general seminar on IACS,
  presenting the available options and solutions
  implemented in various member states.
• September All relevant legislation is translated
  into Romanian with the help of the Twinning.

Ms. Carmen Enescu, C.E.I
Mr. Razvan Ghitescu, IACS C.E.I, and later - P.M.
12
2004 - THE BEGINNING
Design and Implementation of IACS in Romania A
timeline

• October Discussions on the future reference
  parcel system preliminary conclusions about the
  advantages of the physical blocks derived from
  digital imagery.
• October First Romanian participation in DG-JRC
  workshops
• November First Romanian participation in the
  annual conference on CwRS organized by JRC and
  Hungary.
• December First international workshop about the
  construction of LPIS in Romania, organized by the
  Twinning and DG-JRC

Prahova First pilot project by JRC CRUTA
aiming to establish the best strategy for the
establishment of the parcel reference system in
Romania
Counselors of European Integration helping
hands.
13
2005 - THE BASICS
Design and Implementation of IACS in Romania A
timeline

• February Establishment of the Romanian Paying
  and Intervention Agency for Agriculture (PIAA)
• February Legal transfer of responsibility in
  what regards the creation of LPIS, from ANCPI to
  PIAA.
• April Protocol and Contract signed with ANCPI
  about the provision of orthophotos covering the
  entire area of Romania.

PIAA Headquarters Building in 2004, barely
accommodating 30 staff members
PIAA Building in 2007, accommodating 400 staff
members
14
2005 - THE BASICS
Design and Implementation of IACS in Romania A
timeline
2006 based on the Master Plan, APIA Network of
Local Offices start to become a reality

• May Government Memorandum establishing the
  payment scheme to be adopted after accession
  (SAPS) and the eligibility thresholds for Romania
  (1ha/farm, 0.3ha/parcel).
• May Pilot project on parcel identification/link
  to the farmer in three communes (Francesti, Nuci
  and Lupsanu)
• June Technical specifications for the initial
  digitization
• July First workshop on the definition of GAECs,
  bringing together all the stakeholders.

On the Spot Control Inspectors during a CE Audit
Mission in Iasi County in June 2007
15
2005 - MASTER PLAN FARM REGISTRY.
Design and Implementation of IACS in Romania A
timeline

• August tender for initial digitization and
  printing of graphic materials
• August Master Plan for IACS delivered by the
  Twinning 6 months before the deadline and
  approved by Ministry Order.
• September Declassification of all orthophoto
  information needed for LPIS.

German RTA overseeing the Farm Registration and
Parcel Identification important steps towards
the full implementation of LPIS in Romania
16
2005 - MASTER PLAN FARM REGISTRY.
Design and Implementation of IACS in Romania A
timeline

• September Tender for quality control of the
  initial digitization
• October Training of PIAA , DADR and ANCA staff
  members for the Farm Registration Campaign
  (approx. 3000 people).
• November Nationwide Farm Registration Campaign
  (first stage)
• November Study visits in Slovak Republic and
  France

Ms. Marisanda Piriianu, PIU Coordinator
Demanding nothing less than Excellence, Performan
ce and Efficiency
17
2006 LPIS IACS SOFTWARE.
Design and Implementation of IACS in Romania A
timeline

• January Technical specifications for PIAA and
  IACS software available
• March Finalization of Farm Registration (1.8M
  farmers registered)
• March Start of the second IACS Twinning project
  Further Support for the Full Implementation of
  IACS in Romania
• June Training of the APIA staff members on the
  Parcel Identification

Former Minister Mr. Gheorghe Flutur, launching
the Parcel Identification Campaign, in Valea
Calugareasca, Prahova County.
18
2006 LPIS IACS SOFTWARE.
Design and Implementation of IACS in Romania A
timeline

• June Contract signed for PIAA and IACS software
• June Production of digitized reference parcels
  and concerning maps started.
• July Start of Nationwide Parcel Identification
  Campaign
• August Contract with STS for networking all PIAA
  locations
• September Decision on the control rate to be
  applied in Romania (6)
• September Decision of the control methods to be
  applied in Romania (both Classical OTS and CwRS)

PIAA employee helping a farmer during the Parcel
Identification Campaign
Why do you need so many People? Offices?
Computers? Laptops? Cars? Boats?
19
2006 Parcels GAECs ..
Design and Implementation of IACS in Romania A
timeline

• September First pilot project on performance of
  OTS controls, in Lupsanu and Valea Calugareasca
• October PIAA reaches 5000 staff members.
• October Establishment of CwRS sites based on a
  risk analysis and transmission of the image
  requests to JRC.
• November Finalisation of Parcel Identification
  Campaign. 1.8 Mio Farmers met and helped to
  identify their parcels within the LPIS system.
• November Final set of GAECs are defined and
  regulated through Ministry Order.

OTS Control Pilot Project in Lupsanu, CL
20
2006 Manuals Offices
Design and Implementation of IACS in Romania A
timeline

• November All procedure manuals are finalized and
  evaluated by the Internal and External Auditors.
• November Contracts signed for the mass printing
  of the application templates A3 physical block
  maps for the farmers.
• November Study visits in Germany, Czech
  Republic, France and Poland
• December National Addendum for the CwRS Tender
  is finalized.
• December 42 county subsidiaries of the PIAA and
  240 local centers established
• December Provisional accreditation of the PIAA

German and Czech Short Term Experts working
together with a Romanian PIAA Staff Member
21
FROM THE CHALLENGES OF THE BEGINNING

• inadequate facilities,
• tough working conditions
• lack of archiving and storage place
• insufficient IT and measuring equipment
• no network availability

22
TO THE RESULTS OF THE FIRST CAMPAIGN YEAR (2007)

• modern offices
• trained personnel
• centralized farmer register and applications
  database, LPIS geo-database
• all county and local offices connected to PIAA
  intranet

23
TO THE RESULTS OF THE FIRST CAMPAIGN YEAR (2007)
Design and Implementation of IACS in Romania A
timeline

• Accession of Romania to the European Union
• PIAA infrastructure and logistics in place and
  fully operational
• 7 Mio physical block maps produced and
  distributed
• Meeting by PIAA staff members of 1.25 Mio farmers
  who submitted aid applications for 9.5 Mio
  hectares
• IACS Software Modules operational, most basic
  functionalities insured

Physical Block Update by the LPIS Department of
the PIAA, after the 1st Campaign
01.01.2007 Romania Joins the EU
24
TO THE RESULTS OF THE FIRST CAMPAIGN YEAR (2007)
Design and Implementation of IACS in Romania A
timeline

• 75.000 on the spot controls performed of which
• 20.000 by classical on the spot finalized and
• 55.000 by use of Remote Sensing (still ongoing)
• First round of cross-checks performed
• PIAA fully accredited, safeguard clause avoided.
• New Web-based Interface to the LPIS, provided by
  the Twinning Project - Lpisweb

January 2007, Minister Dacian Ciolos managed to
avoid that the safeguard clause was enforced by
the EC
25
TO THE OUTSTANDING CHALLENGES
Design and Implementation of IACS in Romania A
timeline

• Finalization of all controls from 2007
• Execution of payments
• Preparation of the 2008 campaign
• Handling of the increased control rate
• Acquisition of new orthophotos
• Further improvements to increase the overall
  efficiency of the system

26
Va multimim pentru co-operare