State Aid Scheme for Forest-Climate Services: Payment Applications Open Until May 30, 2025

The Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture (APIA) informs potential beneficiaries that, until May 30, 2025, payment applications for the year 2025 may be submitted under Session 4/2021, Commitment Year 5, for the state aid scheme “Forest-environment services, climate services and forest conservation”, part of Measure 15 “Forest-environment services, climate services and forest conservation”, sub-measure 15.1 “Payments for forest-environment commitments”, within the National Rural Development Programme 2014–2020.

To receive financial support under this state aid scheme, applicants must submit a payment application in accordance with Annex No. 1 of Order No. 79/28.02.2025 of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, which approves the standard application form and completion instructions for 2025.

The application must be completed online via the M15 electronic platform (accessible through the APIA website using Google Chrome), then printed, signed, and submitted/sent together with the supporting documents to the relevant APIA County Centres or the APIA Centre for the Municipality of Bucharest. In exceptional cases, the application may be submitted in paper format only, accompanied by the required documentation.

The financial support under this state aid scheme is granted annually as a fixed amount per hectare to forest owners (including Territorial Administrative Units) whose lands are part of the national forest fund. Support is based on a 5-year commitment, and is designed to compensate for income loss and additional costs incurred by beneficiaries through the implementation of one or both of the scheme’s packages:

• Package 1 – Establishment of quiet zones: Beneficiaries receive €38/ha/year for the entire area included in the commitment.
• Package 2 – Use of animal-drawn carts for wood extraction from thinning operations: Beneficiaries receive €137/ha/year for the annual area supported under this package. (Note: Package 2 can only be accessed in combination with Package 1.)

The intensity of public support provided under this state aid scheme is 100% non-reimbursable.

For forest areas larger than 500 hectares, payment degressivity applies, meaning the payment amount will be adjusted accordingly.

Detailed information on how to access the state aid scheme is available at APIA County Centres and on the APIA website, via the following link: