As announced byArch Hunting, European Commission clarified the question of compensation for damage caused by wildlife which are provided by Territorial Areas of Hunting. Michael Niejahr, who heads the division that deals with agriculture, replied to a letter in which the Italian authorities had requested a clarification on the subject. In short, for Brussels publicly sourced funds can be considered as state aid agricultural activities, therefore a reason to start infringement procedures as happens every time a European directive is violated.
Public funds are, for example, regional contributions. Niejahr recalled how the financial resources of ATCs are the registration fees of hunters, but additional resources can be exploited for compensation, those transferred from the Region. The compensation granted to farmers through the Sectors' own resources they are not considered help, as no state resources are involved.
The resources transferred from the Region, on the other hand, transform the compensation into aid, consequently they must be granted in accordance with the rules de minimis (small aid). The opinion represents the opinion of the European Commission services and does not commit Brussels to provide legal interpretation in the event of a dispute.