Common Agricultural Policy Indicators - Water Quality and Availability

Indicators contributing to the assessment of the performance of the Common Agricultural Policy. Farming activities, which occupy more than half of the EU territory, are one of the causes of pressures on water bodies, impacting on the health of water ecosystems. Certain agriculture and forest landscapes and management practices are of paramount importance to deliver benefits for water ecosystems. Addressing the pressures while maximising the beneficial effect of good agricultural land management will greatly contribute towards sustainable water management and sustainable agriculture in the EU. The dashboard offers an overlook on the main results in terms of pressure which agriculture exerts on water bodies and at the same time it provides an understanding on the CAP instruments to assess the impact and to promote the preservation and the enhancement of ecosystems related to agriculture. Irrigated area together with water abstraction in agriculture give an indication of the use of water for farming activity; the potential surplus of nitrogen and phosphorus in water, livestock density and nitrates levels measure the potential impact on the environment and diffuse pollution due to agriculture. These indicators are complemented by the information on the agricultural land under management contracts to improve water management that for few countries represented a priority in the last years through the specific measures provided by the Rural Development Plans.