Main objective The main objective of the Action is the evaluation of possible impacts from climate change and variability on agriculture and the assessment of critical thresholds for various European areas. Particular attention will be devoted to the quality of production, which represents the main goal of European agricultural policy, but also to the eco-environmental impacts. The results will be made readily available in order to significantly enhance awareness in the agricultural sector of the current hazard level and the perspectives related to the next few decades. Risk maps, graphics, tables, etc. will be used to provide the requested information to end-users. The sensitivity, adaptive capacity and vulnerability of several European agriculture areas (chosen depending on climatic data availability, crop diffusion, etc.) will be evaluated to provide the users with all the information needed to adapt their strategies to current and future climatic conditions. This covers the fields of farmer activity, public and private extension services and especially policy-maker decisions on short- and long-term bases. Also, the insurance sector is interested in this analysis, in order to evaluate future aspects of insurance (e.g.. compulsory, social, etc.) and premium levels. Finally, plant-breeder activity will be oriented according to the evaluated hazard levels and their forecasted variations. Evaluations will be specified depending on the requirements of the target. Secondary objectives – The collection and review of existing agroclimatic indices and simulation models to assess hazard impacts on various European agricultural areas relating hazards to climatic conditions. – Building climate scenarios for the next few decades. – The definition of harmonised criteria to evaluate the impacts of climatic change and variability on agriculture. – The definition of warning systems guidelines.
