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Spanish pre-EU agricultural policies had the clear aims of productivity increase, recolonisation of rural areas and land consolidation service (preventing fragmented ownership). Soil conservation policies were first introduced in 1955.

Currently the main legal framework for Agricultural Policy in Spain contains Royal Decree 1441/2001, establishing the Statute of the Spanish Agricultural Guarantee Fund and Royal Decree 262/2008 on the integration of fruit and vegetables in the single payment scheme and the establishment of transitional payments for citrus and tomatoes sectors sent to transformation. Agri environment payments are regulated by ORDER of January 21th, 2008.

As a result of the 1992 CAP Reform, several COMs (Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets) were reorganised. Arable lands suffered a progressive reduction of the target and intervention prices. This has been particularly relevant in the Canyoles River Basin, as it reduced the acreage of crops, especially grain, by more than 35%.

The CAP subsidies are financed by the European agricultural funds: the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). The CAP subsidies are managed through the Spanish Agricultural Guarantee Fund (FEGA), an agency of the General Secretariat of Agriculture and Food. FEGA participates in the management and intervention of products and agricultural markets, coordinates and reports to the EU Commission in all matters related to the financing of the CAP, monitors actions of the autonomous communities .

Furthermore, the Royal Decree 262/2008, implementing the Regulation 1182/2007/EC laying down specific rules as regards the fruit and vegetable sector (that amended the Regulation 1782/2003/EC), establishes basic rules for introducing the single payment scheme for the fruit and vegetables sector, starting in 2008/09. Spain has established such a measure for citrus processing, which remains 100% coupled to production, using 2006 as the reference year.

In Spain, the implementation of EU legislation takes place at the level of the autonomous communities (Comunidades Autónomas). In Valencia, agricultural development policies are established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The implementation of these policies is the responsibility of the Valencian Agency of Development and Agricultural Guarantee (AVFGA). It also develops the Rural Development Plan of the Region of Valencia (2007 - 2013). The subsidies under this plan are paid by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It advises on, receives and handles aid through District Agricultural Offices (OCAPAS) spread out throughout the territory. More than 100,000 farmers in the province of Valencia benefit from the European aid, both the single payment scheme and the direct aid through EAGF. The AVFGA is responsible for the management of the aid provided under the agriculture and livestock sectors; and establishes the call of the procedure for awarding subsidies.

Farmers who wish to receive agro-environment support (including organic farming) register their farms in the Ecological Agriculture Committee of the Region (EAC). Once registered, the farmers handle requests through the Technical Management Office, while the Ecological Agriculture Committee keeps the register of those farms that will receive support and issues certificates with the identification of parcels, their size and type of crops. This information is controlled (spot checks) through the use of the Geographical Information Systems following the Plan established by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

In order to receive payments for the integrated production of citrus and vine (agri-environment payments), the farm owners register the plots in the Register of Integrated Production in the Region.

Implementation of the CAP in Valencia is regulated by RESOLUTION of 31 January 2011, from the director of the Valencian Agency of Development and Agricultural Guarantee. Overall management lies with the Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Water of the Autonomous Community of Valencia operating in conjunction with District Agricultural Offices (OCAPAS).

The Rural Development Plan (2007-2013) of Valencia Community, contains the following agri-environment measures (AEM) which have been carried out in the study site:

• Integrated production of citrus and vine: farm owners commit for five years to carry out integrated production in the entire area of the farm.
• Organic farming: the owner must register the farm in the Ecological Agriculture Committee of the Region (EAC) and commit for five years.
• Erosion control: farm owners cultivating cherry, almond and carob on slopes with a degree greater than 8% can mow a cover in early spring to prevent weed competition or carry out controlled grazing.
• Conservation of wetlands: farmers seeking aid for sustainable rice cultivation in wetlands, must commit for at least five years, without growing other crops that might change the characteristics of the ecosystem of the production area. Other requirements include: incorporation of chopped rice straw into the soil and maintenance and conservation of water retention elements.
• Breeds in danger of extinction: farmers raising the native Guirra sheep (a local endangered species) commit to take the actions of grazing and maintain the purity of particular number males and females for breeding though a breeding program.

Impacts. Farmers wishing to receive agro-environment support register their farms in the Ecological Agriculture Committee. Requests are handled by the Technical Management Office. Information is controlled (spot checks) through the use of Geographical Information Systems.

Royal Decree 262/2008, establishes basic rules for the single payment scheme for the fruit and vegetables sector, starting in 2008/09. Spain has established such a measure for citrus processing, which remains coupled 100% to the production, using the reference period of the year 2006. Despite the high hopes for this programme for the Valencia Region and significant international citrus exports, per capita GDP of the rural population remains low. Weaknesses include lack of growth in productivity, lack of training, ageing agricultural workforce, the small size of holdings (generally less than 1 ha), lack of consolidation in land market, degradation of fragile ecosystems and more recently the financial crisis (lack of capital, debt increase).

Intensification of agriculture was a result of agricultural polices (including the Spanish pre-constitutional period and the implementation of CAP in earlier years). The environmental standards introduced with the European agricultural reforms are not sufficiently applied in the study site and are insufficient to reverse the main environmental disturbances to land degradation occurring in the Canyoles study site.

Areas sensitive to land degradation and desertification have clearly increased in the region. This process is driven by the continuous deforestation due to the forest fires (rural abandonment, occurrence of wildfires, increase of overgrazing). The CAP is also contributing to land degradation due to the expansion of the citrus plantation on sloping areas.

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Nitrates Directive 91/676/EEC, concerning the protection of waters against pollution from agricultural activities, requires of Member States to:

• identify waters affected or potentially affected by pollution,
• designate vulnerable zones,
• develop codes of good agricultural practices,
• develop monitoring programs to assess the effectiveness of action programs and designate, modify or expand the list of vulnerable zones,
• conduct periodic reviews, at least every four years, on the designation of vulnerable zones and action programs, and
• develop and submit to the EU Commission a progress report every four years.

The Directive is transposed in Spain by Royal Decree 261/1996. Among other requirements, it defines the limit of nitrate contamination in 50 mg/l. It also requires that within six months the Autonomous Communities identify those areas vulnerable to nitrate pollution.

Legal framework for protection against agricultural pollution (Nitrates Directive)

Source: Authors

The main policy actor is the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food sets the agenda for actions in the areas designated as vulnerable in order to reduce nitrate contamination.

Valencian Royal Decree 13/2000 identifies areas vulnerable to nitrate pollution. Among the areas affected by water pollution, there are 10 located in the two municipalities of the Cànyoles River Basin (i.e. L'Alcúdia de Crespins, Canals, the Farm of the Coast, Llosa de Ranes, Llanera de Ranes, Novelé, Rotglá and Corberá, Sellent, Villanueva de Castellón, and Xativa).

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Assessment and protection of the landscape is one of the major objectives of the autonomous community of Valencia due to the increasing importance of the service sector, such as tourism. Regional Law (4/2004) on Territorial Planning and Landscape Protection aims for the:

• improvement of the urban environment and its impact on the landscape,
• accessibility of citizens in urban areas,
• efficiency of urban mobility and the promotion of public transport,
• quality, rationality and efficiency in the management and implementation of public utilities and facilities in the city or countryside, seeking quantitative and qualitative convergence with developed urban areas,
• implementation of a polycentric system of cities,
• development of a forecast for housing, subject to a regime of public protection areas in the urban plans,
• active participation of citizens and administrations in the process of territorial and urban planning.

The main instruments & procedures are Landscape Studies as an instrument of territorial planning support (Chapter II, Art. 11), which identify geographical landmarks and those characteristics that constitute the territory concerning landscape in the field of planning. Furthermore, Landscape Integration Studies (Art. 23) are needed for infrastructure projects, urban growth and in cases requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment.

Land use is regulated at both national and regional level.

Legal framework for the Land Use Policy in Valencia

Source: Authors

Law 6/1994 of the Generalitat Valenciana regulates urban development. This Valencia Urban Act, marked a break from the traditional state planning system, which blamed and attributed land urbanization action to owners, a situation that previously generated great difficulty to convert land for development in urbanized areas because it was complex and costly. However, the new law introduced a development agent with the idea of encouraging owners planning to convert land for development. It also reduced the price of land, thus promoting the creation of urbanized land.

A new Land Use Policy (the Law 8/2007) replaced the previous land use act approved in 1998. This was the fourth policy to address land use management in Spain since the mid-20th century. Titles I and II, which reduce the price of land aiming to reduce speculative interest on the land and promote housing, are especially innovative. There is a mandatory reservation of 30% of the land for housing. However, this fact became controversial. According to this law, land is classified in two different categories: rural land and urban land (Art. 12). The land that is classified as rural land will be used in accordance with its nature and must engage a rational use of natural resources (Art. 13). This article is also reserved for acts of an exceptional nature and specific uses of public or social interest.

With regard to urban planning, the Law regulating Land and Town Planning (1956) and its amendment (1975) institutionalized Spanish urbanism by providing a series of figures for municipal planning, but left out the master plans: the National Plan and the Master Plan Territorial Coordination were never applied. That resulted in extreme urbanization according to the General Urban Plans. The Soil System Act and Ratings (1998) was in favour of making land available for development, resulting in increases in the price of housing and land, a weakening of planning as a regulatory tool and the expansion of urban sprawl, often without accompanying services and infrastructure. The construction sector in Spain became the engine of the economy: the period from 1997 to 2006 has been characterised the "prodigious decade of Spanish urbanism" (Burriel, 2008). Valencia urbanism has been criticised extensively at all levels up to the European Parliament.

Spatial Planning policy, Landscape Protection Policy and Forestry Policies, nationally and regionally, are policies that in principle favour continuing agricultural and environmental improvements. However, on many occasions, they have generated opposite effects. For example, Landscape Regulations in the Community of Valencia (Law 4/2004) allowed the reclassification of soil – changing to building land about 1000 acres. The regional Forest Law or the reformed Forest Act permit building on burned soils, whereas before it was forbidden for at least 30 years.

The main environmental policy actors in the Generalitat Valenciana (regional government) have been 

• the Environment Agency (late 1980s);
• the Department of Environment (1991-2002), with responsibility for protection of natural resources, water quality and resources, environmental impact assessment, waste management, air pollution control, and conservation, protection, development and rational use of the physical environment, and hunting and inland fishing;
• the Department of Planning and Housing (post-2003) which has taken over all environmental competences, incorporating a Directorate General for the Environment and a Department of Environmental Quality.

Since 2003 an Advisory Council has been in operation, and includes representatives of various regional ministries and municipalities, as well as universities, business organizations and chambers, trade unions, organizations of the agricultural sector, NGOs and consumer federations.