New regulations on direct agricultural support for 2027 published in the Official Gazette

In the Official Gazette (Narodne novine) No. 102 of September 14, 2026, the Ordinance on the Implementation of Direct Support for Agriculture and IACS Rural Development Measures for 2027 was published, issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The Ordinance regulates the implementation of direct payments and rural development measures for the following year and is crucial for all farmers and family farms (OPGs) submitting the Single Application.

The Ordinance was adopted based on Article 8a paragraph 27, Article 21 paragraph 7, and Article 39 paragraph 5 of the Agriculture Act (“Official Gazette”, No. 118/18, 42/20, 127/20 – Decision of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia, 52/21, 152/22, and 152/24). It is signed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister David Vlajčić, under class 011-01/26-01/31 and registry number 525-07/253-26-2, and enters into force on the eighth day from the date of publication in the “Official Gazette”.

Scope of Application and Interventions

The Ordinance prescribes the implementation of decoupled and coupled direct payments from the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy of the Republic of Croatia 2023–2027, IACS rural development measures, and state aid measures for exceptionally sensitive sectors in agriculture for 2027. The implementing body is the Agency for Payments in Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, which utilizes the integrated administration and control system (IACS).

The following groups of interventions are covered:

• decoupled direct payments – basic income support for sustainability, complementary redistributive income support, support for young farmers, and eco-schemes (January 31 – August 31);
• coupled direct payments (PVP) – cows in milk production, steer fattening, suckler cows, sheep and goats, vegetables, fruit, sugar beet, protein fodder crops, and seeds;
• IACS rural development measures – reduction of pesticide use, biodiversity preservation, organic farming, animal welfare payments, landscape preservation, and payments for areas with natural constraints;
• state aid measures for exceptionally sensitive sectors – breeding of dairy cows, breeding sows, tobacco production, olive oil, and preservation of indigenous varieties.

Single Application and Deadlines

Beneficiaries submit the Single Application electronically via the AGRONET application on the Payments Agency website (www.apprrr.hr), in the period from January 7 to May 17, 2027. The application consists of several sheets (A–G), and amendments or withdrawals are possible up to and including October 1 of the application year.

The minimum eligible agricultural area for direct payment interventions is 1 hectare, and for IACS rural development measures 0.5 hectares registered in the LPIS (ARKOD) system. For beneficiaries who do not have at least one hectare but receive coupled support for animals, the minimum amount is 200 euros.

Supervision and Controls

The Regulation introduces a surface monitoring system (Monitoring) based on Sentinel satellite data from the Copernicus program, utilizing geotagged photographs via the AgroGTF mobile application. Monitoring results are displayed in AGRONET in the form of a “traffic light” (green – acceptable, red – unacceptable, yellow or blue – data missing).

Controls are carried out administratively, through Monitoring, and via on-site inspections, and reductions, exclusions, and administrative penalties are prescribed for the breach of obligations. Irregularities, such as the intentional reporting of unacceptable areas or forged documents, result in the non-approval of support or the recovery of irregularly obtained funds.

Significance for Farmers

The new regulation provides legal certainty to all farmers and family farms (OPGs) ahead of the submission of the Single Application for 2027, defining eligibility conditions, support amounts, and deadlines. Timely familiarization with the provisions is crucial for exercising the right to direct payments and IACS measures, and all information is available via the AGRONET system and branches of the Paying Agency.

Source: Regulation on the implementation of direct support for agriculture and IACS rural development measures for 2027, “Narodne novine” no. 102, Zagreb, September 14, 2026, class 011-01/26-01/31, urbroj 525-07/253-26-2.