Within the framework of the LIFE Tršca project, implemented in the area of Lake Cerknica and coordinated by Notranjska Park as the lead partner, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food participates as a project partner responsible for professional tasks in the field of agricultural policy.
Since the project also includes a comprehensive review of existing measures, informing the public about the changes to measures that will come into force in 2026 is an important part of ensuring their proper and effective implementation and supporting agricultural holdings.
On February 20, 2026, the campaign for submitting collective applications for agricultural subsidies for 2026 will begin and will run until May 15, 2026, with the exception of applications for the sub-measure Animal welfare – small livestock, for which the deadline for submission is 5 May 2025 at the latest.
Farmers will have to submit their applications electronically, with the assistance of the Public Agricultural Advisory Service.
DKOP 7 introduces more detailed provisions for crop rotation from 2026, but these do not change the basic rules of crop rotation. Some standards in Annex 1 have been amended (textually) and supplemented, but this does not change the basic rules of the standards and their implementation. The most important change is to requirement No. 44, where the date of October 15 is deleted as the last date for mandatory tillage at least once a year. This means that grassland areas and grassed areas of extensive orchards must be cultivated once during the entire calendar year, as is the case for the entire conditionality. In standard PZR 10, the welfare of pigs is supplemented by a reference to the latest officially revised text of the Animal Protection Act, which includes the latest amendments to this Act (at the same time, the text of requirement 138 is also supplemented), which refers to the castration of piglets in accordance with EU and Slovenian regulations (i.e., the mandatory use of analgesia or anesthesia during the castration of piglets). In Annex 3, errors in the table have been corrected in order to align the values with the logic of the table and not to increase penalties.
The implementation of social conditionality will continue in 2026. For the proper implementation of the provisions of Regulation 2021/2116/EU, violations of social conditionality requirements that occurred on other areas managed by the obligated party (non-agricultural areas). Furthermore, the extent of the breach will no longer be linked to the number of workers. A more specific definition of direct intentional breach is also envisaged.
The definition of permanent grassland maintenance is adjusted so that the requirement for at least one mowing in the current year remains, but without the previous time limit for mowing by October 15 of the current year.
Under intervention INP02 Supplementary redistributive income support for sustainability, support is granted only to farms with a maximum of 50 ha, which encourages a more equitable distribution of direct payments from larger to smaller farms.
Under the INP8.05 scheme, subsequent crops and undersown crops, in the event of a mass occurrence of pests, which is scientifically justified by the forecast of the Public Plant Health Service, the use of insecticides may be permitted on an exceptional basis when no other appropriate measures are available to control them. In this case, the forecast of the Public Plant Health Service will be published on the central website of the state administration.
Scheme INP8.09 Protection of northern lapwing nests is upgraded with an additional voluntary level of protection of northern lapwing nests, which, in addition to nest protection, provides additional support for non-treatment and a ban on the use of PPPs on the entire field where the nest is located.
In the case of intervention INP03 Coupled support for small ruminant farming, the mandatory farming period for 2026 will be aligned with the start of the submission of the collective application. Thus, the mandatory farming period in 2026 will last from February 20, 2026, to July 31, 2026. For small ruminant farmers who were granted force majeure for 2025 due to bluetongue disease, a lower entry threshold for the intervention is envisaged for 2026. Instead of the required 14 animals, they will be able to meet the conditions with as few as seven small ruminants.
For farmers who have been granted force majeure for bluetongue disease for their 2025 single application, for 2026 single application claims, when calculating the stocking density for determining the active farmer or for interventions where the fulfillment of a certain stocking density is also required as a condition for eligibility (coupled income support for protein crops, the EKST scheme, and the TRT scheme) on five representative dates, the number of animals for which force majeure due to bluetongue disease was recognized for the 2025 single application shall also be taken into account.
Under the INP8.01 Extensive Grassland scheme, this only applies if the beneficiary does not reach the lower stocking density limit specified in the scheme.
In the case of schemes INP8.10 Fertilization only with organic fertilizers to ensure nitrogen in permanent crops (OGNTN) and INP8.11 Preservation of biodiversity in permanent crops (BIORAZTN), the use of GERK from the application until harvest must be ensured.
On the same area, the operations Preservation of dry grasslands (SUHA_TRAV) and Hay production (SENENA) may be combined, and the payment for both operations shall be granted in full.
Coprological analyses: In spring, the coprological analysis and the prescription of medicines for treating animals must be completed before the start of grazing. The analysis data, except for the date of medicine issuance, must be entered into the register of coprological analyses before the date of application submission. In autumn, the coprological analysis must be carried out within the period from 14 days before the end of the grazing period until 31 December 2026, and the analysis data must be entered into the register of coprological analyses no later than 31 January 2027.
Eradication of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD): All beneficiaries must submit a declaration by 2 March 2026 confirming the implementation of activities to obtain or maintain BVD-free herd status. Beneficiaries who will carry out activities in 2026 to obtain BVD-free herd status must complete the first sampling no later than 31 May 2026. If test results are negative, they must carry out a second sampling or submit an application for approval of BVD-free herd status no later than 15 November 2026. Beneficiaries who already carried out activities in 2025 to obtain BVD-free herd status and, following the first sampling and positive test results, ensured that a veterinary organisation began sampling animals for BVD eradication, must ensure that in 2026 the veterinary organisation continues sampling animals for BVD eradication.
AW sub-intervention – small ruminants: For beneficiaries who were granted force majeure in 2025 due to bluetongue disease, the entry condition regarding the number of small ruminants will be considered fulfilled in 2026 if, on the date of submitting the application for the AW – small ruminants sub-intervention, they keep at least the number of animals corresponding to one livestock unit (LU) of small ruminants.
AW sub-intervention – poultry: A farm inspection is not required if it was already carried out in 2024 or 2025 and if there are no changes in 2026 compared to 2025 regarding compliance with the requirements. If changes have occurred, a new farm inspection must be carried out. Beneficiaries who already claimed support under the AW – poultry sub-intervention in 2025 must regularly report data on stocking and depopulation during the current year in the Volos system no later than 14 days from the date of stocking or depopulation of animals.
More information on the interventions under the CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027 for Slovenia is available under “CAP Interventions”, and detailed information on the 2026 single application is available on the ARSKTRP website.
Article was prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food.
The implementation of extensive nature conservation projects exceeds the financial capacity of the local community, therefore Notranjska Park regularly applies for projects with the possibility of co-financing by the European Union.
The implementation of large-scale conservation projects exceeds the financial capabilities of the local community, therefore Notranjska Park regularly applies for projects with the possibility of co-financing from the European Union.
