The indicator shows the area of utilized agricultural land in Slovenia, which is under agri-environmental schemes measures, in the period 2015–2022. The area for which the support for the implementation of AES measures, according to the regulations on the implementation of agricultural policy, was paid each year are presented. Due to the fact that there can be more than one AES measure implemented on the same land, the gross utilized agricultural area under AES is presented. Net agricultural therefore presents the agricultural land area on which at least one of the AES measures is implemented (without duplicating the land on which more than one measure is implemented). The share of gross and net area of agricultural land under AES in utilized agricultural area is therefore shown. The indicator also presents the share of areas in utilized agricultural area, on which the main measures of AES are implemented, for the EU-27 countries.

In 2023, AES measures began to be implemented within CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027, but the data are not directly comparable with those from the programming period 2014-2022. This indicator does not provide direct information on environmental performance of the AES measures but shows the extent to which agricultural holdings support environmentally friendly methods of agricultural production.

Measures within the framework of agri-environmental schemes with various forms of support encourage the preservation or transition to more environmentally friendly methods of agricultural production, which contribute to the improvement of soil and water quality, the preservation of soil fertility, biodiversity and the traditional rural landscape, and thus also to the sustainable use of natural resources. Farmers join the program voluntarily, and the measures are implemented on a part or the entire farm. With a special contract, they undertake to farm for at least a minimum specified time period (usually five years) in accordance with the prescribed conditions for an individual measure, which require more than just compliance with the usual principles of good agricultural practice. By joining the agri-environmental program, they acquire the right to payments to cover additional costs or replace the loss of income due to a more demanding way of farming.

Agricultural policy started to implement the first measures to support environmentally friendly farming methods in 1999, and on a larger scale after the adoption of the Slovenian Agricultural and Environmental Program in 2001. In the first year (2001), ten measures were implemented on a trial basis, and in the following years their number grew to more than 20. After joining the EU in 2004, support within the agricultural-environmental program became part of the Rural Development Program of the Republic of Slovenia (2004–2006, 2007–2013 and 2014–2020). In 2015, measures were implemented under the new program for the period 2014–2020, which covers the period until 2022. The content of the new agricultural-environmental-climate payments pursue similar goals as in previous periods, and are implemented within the framework of the 19 operations, which contain a total of more than 50 mandatory and optional requirements. Due to differences in the types and number of measures, the areas of land included in agri-environmental schemes measures in 2015 are not directly comparable to the areas of agri-environmental schemes measures in the program period 2007–2013.

The net area of agricultural land with agro-environmental schemes increased from 65,354 ha in 2015 to 97,652 ha in 2022. The increase is noticeable at the beginning and at the end of the considered period. Thus, the area covered by AES measures increased by 45% (29,398 ha), between 2015 and 2016, when more farms were newly included in the schemes with the new program period of the common agricultural policy. The net share of agricultural land on which agri-environmental schemes are implemented thus moved similarly to the volume of land with AES measures, and reached 20.4% of utilized agricultural area in 2022. Among all agri-environmental measures, the largest area is included in the operation arable farming and vegetable growing (64,856 ha in 2019). While only 3 ha of UAA in 2022, are included in the operation of mowing of hummocky meadows.

According to the data from the annual reports on the implementation of the Rural Development Programme in the EU-27 Member States, on the included UAA in the agri-environmental schemes (biodiversity, water management, prevention of soil erosion), Slovenia is achieving the goals set for 2022. The share of gross areas of agricultural land with AES measures that address biodiversity is 58.0% (the target is 33.0%), those who address more efficient water management is 51.8% (the target is 28.9%) and those who address the prevention of soil erosion is 53.5% (the target is 31.4%). Likewise, at the EU level, the target for measures addressing biodiversity has been reached with 18.7% of the UAA (the target is 17.3%). The same applies to measures in the field of soil erosion prevention, where at the EU level, 15.5 % of KZU are included in such measures (the target is 14.0%). In the case of areas with measures that improve water management, the target (14.5%), with 15.9 % of the UAA is also reached.

Thus, Slovenia is included in the group of EU countries that have exceeded the goals set in this programming period.

In the area of ​​biodiversity, Austria, Luxembourg and Estonia stand out the most, significantly exceeding the set targets for 2022, while Lithuania lags behind. Austria and Finland lead in areas addressing more efficient water management, while Lithuania and the Netherlands practically do not implement these environmental measures. Austria and Finland have the highest share of areas with measures contributing to the prevention of soil erosion, while the Netherlands and Bulgaria have the lowest share.