Castilla-La Mancha finances fencing against damage caused by the wild rabbit

The Regional Ministry of Sustainable Development of Castilla-La Mancha has published in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha the Order 122/2026, of August 25, which establishes the regulatory bases for the granting, under the de minimis regime, of aid intended to prevent the damage that the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) causes to agricultural crops. The regulation, signed by the regional minister Mª Mercedes Gómez Rodríguez, appears in issue number 166 of the bulletin, dated August 31, 2026, with the official reference [2026/6333].

The order responds to the significant increase in European rabbit populations, which has generated persistent and widespread damage to agricultural holdings. This overabundance prompted the declaration of a temporary hunting emergency district by the Resolution of 02/03/2026 of the Vice-Ministry of the Environment, affecting municipal districts of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Toledo. The measure is supported by Law 3/2015, of March 5, on Hunting of Castilla-La Mancha, and Law 9/1999, of May 26, on Nature Conservation.

What is financed

The aid, granted on a competitive basis, covers preventive investments to prevent the species from accessing crops. Three types of actions are eligible for subsidies:

• The acquisition and installation of perimeter fencing made of triple-twist “rabbit-proof” hexagonal mesh, with wire thickness not less than 1 mm, mesh size not exceeding 31 mm, buried at least 30 cm, and a minimum height of 70 cm.
• The placement of individual protectors and stakes for woody plants, consisting of rigid plastic mesh tubes.
• The removal of warrens (majanos), subject to mandatory prior authorization.

Actions in plots whose SIGPAC use is permanent pasture with trees, shrubby pasture, or grassland are not permitted, nor are VAT, debt interest, contributions in kind, or second-hand materials subsidized.

Amounts and beneficiaries

The intensity of the aid will be 70% of the eligible expenses, with a maximum amount of 14,500 euros per application. As these are de minimis aids, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 1408/2013, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2024/3118, each beneficiary may not receive more than 50,000 euros in any three-year period.

Eligible beneficiaries may be natural persons, legal entities, communities of assets, and entities without legal personality that hold agricultural holdings, provided that the plots are registered in the Agricultural Holdings Registry of Castilla-La Mancha and they are up to date with their tax and Social Security obligations. Once the aid is granted, 50% of its amount will be automatically advanced without the need for a guarantee.

Prioritization criteria and deadlines

Applications will be evaluated according to three criteria:

• Proximity to road infrastructures, photovoltaic plants, wetlands, livestock trails, and dry riverbeds (up to 20 points).
• Equal treatment in rural areas, with points for female owners, shared-ownership farms, and cooperatives with an equality plan (up to 10 points).
• Location in depopulated areas, with higher scoring for municipalities with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants (up to 12 points).

The application period will be one month from the publication of the call and its summary in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, which will be initiated ex officio by the Vice-Ministry of Environment. The resolution must be notified within a maximum of six months, and the execution of the investment may not be less than six months nor more than twelve.

The order is integrated into the 2024-2026 Strategic Subsidy Plan of budgetary section 23 Sustainable Development, under objective 475 Conservation and improvement of the Natural Environment, line 1478 Aid for the prevention of damage caused by rabbits. With this line, the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha reinforces its commitment to an integrated management of wildlife that balances the conservation of the wild rabbit with the economic viability of agricultural holdings, especially in rural areas with greater structural difficulties.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, no. 166, August 31, 2026, section I (General Provisions), page 31199 (official reference: 2026/6333).