The Spanish Agricultural Guarantee Fund (, FEGA) is an autonomous agency of the

Government of Spain gl, Goberno de España eu, Espainiako Gobernua , image = , caption = Logo of the Government of Spain , headerstyle = background-color: #efefef , label1 = Role , data1 = Executive power , label2 = Established , da ...

, attached to the

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister ...

, whose main mission is to ensure that the funds from the

European Agricultural Guarantee Fund The European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) consumes a large part of the general budget of the European Union. It finances direct payments to farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), as well as measures to regulate the common markets ...

(EAGF) and the

European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) is one of the European Structural and Investment Funds which was set up for the financing of Rural Development Programme (RDP) actions by European Union Council Regulation (EC) No 1290/ ...

(EAFRD) of the

Common Agricultural Policy The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the agricultural policy of the European Union. It implements a system of agricultural subsidies and other programmes. It was introduced in 1962 and has since then undergone several changes to reduce the ...

(CAP) assigned to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

are strictly applied to achieve the objectives of this policy. It also ensures that the funds reach the beneficiaries who meet the requirements established for their granting, promotes the homogeneous application of CAP aid throughout the national territory, avoiding fraud and minimizing the risks of financial corrections. derived from incorrect management of said funds. Likewise, with regard to the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), it is responsible for their correct application and management in the case of the FEAD, and in the case of the EMFF, to certify that the management of the fund has been conducted according to the European and national regulations.

History

The FEGA was created in 1995 during the term of Minister Luis María Atienza to unify the management of aid and payments of the

(CAP) by merging the Fund for the Management and Regulation of Agricultural Production and Prices (, FORPPA) and the National Service for Agricultural Products (, SENPA). Since Atienza took office, he carried out a restructuring policy the Department of Agriculture to adapt it to the new framework within the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

and the

devolution Devolution is the statutory delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization. Devolved territories h ...

of powers to the

regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

due to many State agencies had been left empty of powers or with little space to develop them. It was originally created as an "autonomous commercial and financial agency", until in 1998 it was adapted to the single and common category of autonomous agency. That same year, its powers were expanded not only for coordination, but also as a paying body and as the national authority in charge of European controls in its field of work.

Structure

The agency is structured as follows: * The President. The president of the agency is the executive office of it. It is appointed by the

Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...

at the proposal of the Minister of Agriculture. * The Secretary-General. The secretary-general is the second-in-command to the president. It supports and replace him or her when necessary. As his or her main assistant, the secretary-general manages the

human resources Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include m ...

of the agency and all those aspects that allow the agency to be operative day by day. * The Deputy Director-General for Economic and Financial Affairs. It is responsible for the budgetary, financial, accounting and patrimonial management of the agency, as well as the preparation and elaboration of the draft of its budget and the follow-up and control of its execution. * The Deputy Director-General for Market Regulation. It is in charge of establishing the regulations regarding the intervention of

agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating Plant, plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of Sedentism, sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of Domestication, domesticated species created food ...

and

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...

markets; of the proposal of purchase and sale of the products; the processing and management of export refunds and similar aid that may affect trade with third countries; the management of intra-community traffic control documents; payment authorization when necessary; and act as the payment agency for EAGF expenses related to the common organization of the market in the sector of

fishery Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both ...

and

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...

products. * The Deputy Director-General for Direct Aid. It is responsible for the control of the actions of the

Spanish regions eu, autonomia erkidegoa ca, comunitat autònoma gl, comunidade autónoma oc, comunautat autonòma an, comunidat autonoma ast, comunidá autónoma , alt_name = , map = , category = Autonomous administra ...

in their competences; the establishment of the controls and sanctions that must be applied; and the design, execution and maintenance of the necessary instruments for the application of the Integrated Management and Control System of the Common Agricultural Policy. * The Deputy Director-General for Special Sectors. It is responsible for the coordination and monitoring of the actions of the Spanish regions to guarantee the harmonized application of community regulations and basic state regulations in relation to aid schemes other than direct aid (

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

s and

vegetables Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...

viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ran ...

, agro-industrial sectors and private product storage). * The Deputy Director-General for Agricultural Funds. It is responsible for promoting and guaranteeing the harmonized application of the legislation related to the EAGF and

EAFRD The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) is one of the European Structural and Investment Funds which was set up for the financing of Rural Development Programme (RDP) actions by European Union Council Regulation (EC) No 1290/2 ...

funds; coordinate the dialogue and inform the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...

and other institutions of the European Union, where appropriate, on all issues arising from the financing, management and monitoring of the CAP; coordinate the national pre-financing system of the EAGF and EAFRD funds; coordinate the investigations of the European Commission and other institutions of the Union for those questions related to the EAGF and EAFRD funds; and coordinate the clearance of accounts and clearance of conformity procedure by which the Commission decides to exclude the paying agencies from financing expenses of the agricultural funds.

References

{{Authority control Government agencies of Spain Agricultural organisations based in Spain European Union and agriculture

History

Structure

See also

References