The indicator presents agricultural area included in the implementation of the agri-environmental measures in total and by types of measures. The relative aggregate indicator is the share of agricultural land under these measures in the total utilised agricultural area. This indicator does not provide direct information on the environmental efficiency of the measures; rather, it indicates the response of agricultural holdings to the agricultural policy supporting environmentally friendly methods of production.
Data on the area enrolled in agri-environmental measures refer to approved applications for direct payments for the implementation of individual environmental measure in accordance with the annual decree on the implementation of the agricultural policy. The total area included in the agri-environmental programmes was calculated as sum of areas with individual measure (excluding animal-based measures). As a number of different agri-environmental measures can be implemented on the same area, the basic information is represented by gross area. Where possible, the information on net area (without double counting the area on which more than one measure is implemented) is used for the calculation of the relative indicator (share of area under agri-environmental measures in the total utilised agricultural area).This is comparable with the definition used to calculate this indicator for the majority of the EU-15 counties.

The agricultural policy began implementing the first measures for the support of environmentally friendly methods of farming in 1999. On a larger scale, the implementation continued after the adoption of the Slovenian Agri-Environmental Programme in 2001 (Official Gazette RS No. 34/01). In the first year (2001) there were ten pilot measures; in the next few years, their number continued to grow and increased to 21 in 2004. Farmers are included in the programme on a voluntary basis and implement the measures on the entire holding or on part of it. By signing a special contract, they commit themselves to farm in accordance with the conditions prescribed for individual measure, which go beyond usual principles of good farming practice for at least the minimum specified period (five years as a rule). With the inclusion in the agri-environmental programme, they are entitled to receive area-based (or animal-based in some cases) payments to cover additional costs or compensate for the loss of income due to the more demanding farming methods. After Slovenia’s entrance in the EU, support in the scope of the Agri-Environmental Programme has become part of the Rural Development Programme 2004–2006 (Official Gazette RS No. 116/04).

Since 1999, area under agri-environmental measures has been increasing steadily. In 1999, the measures were implemented on 2,948 ha, in 2001 on 90,486 ha, and in 2004 on 278,010 ha (net 177.682 ha). The area increased due to the rising number of measures and the growing response to individual measures. The share of area under agri-environmental payments (net) in the total utilised agricultural area rose from 1 % in 1999 to 36 % in 2004.

In 2004, 68 % of agricultural land under agri-environmental measures were intended for the implementation of the measures designed to contribute to the conservation of the cultural landscape and biodiversity (189,899 ha). Measures reducing the consumption of inputs or contributing to improvements of soil quality and indirectly to water quality covered 24 % (68,102 ha), and organic farming as the most demanding form of agri-environmental measures covered 6 % (15,450 ha). Measures for the protection or preservation of endangered plant species were implemented on the remaining land.

In 2002, agri-environmental measures were implemented on 24 % of total utilised agricultural area in the EU-15. The majority of the measures were targeted at the reduction of inputs and extensification (40 %), followed by measures for biodiversity and landscape enhancement (30 %), other measures (22 %), and organic farming (7 %).