Currently, many of the agri-environmental measures within the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy are not fully utilized, and it is uncertain whether they are sufficiently well-targeted toward firms interested in implementing environmental improvements. To encourage greater use of these measures, better knowledge is needed about which firms apply for these supports.

In this project, we will map and analyse which companies apply for support for environmental measures. The analysis aims to provide a descriptive overview of these companies and identify their distinguishing characteristics. Both economic factors at the firm level and personal attributes of the farmers will be examined. Examples of characteristics included in the analysis are firm turnover, production value, the farmer’s education level, and income from non-agricultural activities.

Furthermore, the project will investigate differences between firms applying for different types of supports and analyse which firms tend to apply for multiple environmental supports. Special attention will be given to the smaller more targeted supports, which currently have low application rates. The project is expected to be concluded in 2025.