The final text of the pre-publication of the 1st call for submission of support applications for inclusion in intervention P3-75.1 for young farmers (“Young Farmers Establishment” of the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy (SS CAP) of Greece 2023-2027), was signed and posted on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.According to the pre-publication of the call, the objective of the intervention is to attract and retain in the sector young farmers, to facilitate sustainable business development in rural areas as well as to promote employment, development, gender equality, including the participation of women in agriculture.In this context, it is foreseen to provide flat-rate financial support to young people who, in the year of submission of the support application, have not exceeded 40 years of age for entering and staying in agricultural employment and their first establishment, as leaders, in agricultural holdings .Applicants submit a standardized business plan for the development of their agricultural holding that includes the stages of implementation of the relevant actions. The duration of the implementation of the business plan cannot be less than three years and more than four.The year 2024 is defined as the reference year of the support application. Therefore, the support application is drawn up on the basis of the accepted Single Support Application (SSA) of the year 2024.The total amount provided for the financing of the intervention P3-75.1 “Establishment of Young Farmers” for the period 2023/27, including the commitments undertaken from the RDP 2014-2022, amounts to 590 million euros.Intervention P3-75.1 is co-financed by the European Union (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development “EGTAA”) and the Greek State.The amounts of support in the Action “Installation of Young Farmers”The amount of support provided in the form of capital non-refundable aid (flat rate), is not linked to specific costs but to the achievement of specific quantitative goals.However, the implementation of investments may be graded. The amount of support is structured as follows:A basic amount of support of 30,000 euros is provided, on which the following surcharges are calculated: a) 2,500 euros, if the area of permanent residence of the farm heads is located in mountainous or disadvantaged areas or on small islands (islands with population up to 3,100 inhabitants) and in regional units with a population density of less than or equal to 35 inhabitants per square kilometer based on the 2021 population census) or a combination of these categories of areas b) 10,000 euros, if the main direction of the agricultural holding at the completion of the business plan is poultry farming. Therefore, the amount of support can range from 30,000 to 42,500 euros. The financial support is paid in two installments. The first installment is paid when the candidate joins the measure and corresponds to 70% of the total support. The remaining 30% is paid after the certification of the completion of the investment plan.The conditions The most important conditions that candidates must meet are the following:They must be adults and not have exceeded 40 years of age at the end of the year of issue of the call for expression of interest. To be legal owners of an economically independent agricultural and livestock farm (own livestock) To submit an acceptable IASD declaration in the year 2024 with a standard return exceeding €12,000 on the mainland, Crete and Evia, €10,000 on the islands with a population greater than 3,100 inhabitants and the 8,000€ on the islands with a population less than or equal to 3,100 inhabitants or to have declared at least 103 hives on the mainland of Chora, Crete and Evia, 74 on the islands of Chora with less than 3,100 inhabitants and 92 on the rest of the islands of Chora When submitting the support application, they must be classified by the Register of Farmers and Agricultural Holdings as new entrants to the agricultural sector. During the last years 2019 to 2022, have not submitted an IACS declaration with an average standard return exceeding 12,000 euros on the mainland, Crete and Evia and 10,000 euros on the islands other than Crete and Evia or 16,000 euros on any of these years. To submit a timely application for support and a standardized business plan for the development of their agricultural holding within the deadlines set in the call for expressions of interest. The main commitmentsThe main commitments undertaken by the beneficiaries in the Action “Establishment of Young Farmers” are the following:To acquire the status of a professional farmer within two years from the date of their classification as newly entered professionals in the agricultural sector and to maintain it for four years after the year of completion of their business plan To achieve the quantitative goal of increasing the standard yield of the farm by at least 20% in relation to the standard yield of the initial situation To be subject within 24 months from the date of issuance of the decision to join the normal VAT regime and remain in it for at least four years after the year of completion of their business plan From 2024 up to four years after the year of completion of their business plan to submit a declaration to the IACS each year To attend (free) training of at least 250 hours
