• The call for aid to agricultural holdings with shared ownership is expected to be made at the end of April approximately.
• The budget for 2022 is €1,500,000: 50% more than in 2021.
• Farms wishing to receive aid must register one month in advance with RETICOM (the Register of Shared Ownership Farms of the MAPA).

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) plans to publish the 2022 call for subsidies for agricultural holdings under the shared ownership scheme at the end of April . The budget for these grants will be €1,500,000 (50% more than last year).

To be eligible for these grants, jointly owned agricultural holdings (ETC) must be registered in the MAPA Register of Jointly Owned Agricultural Holdings (RETICOM) one month prior to the date of publication of the extract of the call for applications in the Official State Gazette (BOE).

This line of aid has been launched with the aim of helping jointly owned farms cope with paying part of their Social Security contributions, which are higher because two owners have to pay the corresponding contributions.

Requirements

The call for MAPA grants to jointly owned entities is regulated by Royal Decree 819/2021, of September 28 , and is governed by the following requirements:

• Direct grant aid line : not subject to competitive bidding among applicants.
• The maximum annual amount that each beneficiary entity may receive will be up to 1,500 euros .
• The only prerequisite for entities to access the aid, aside from the conditions established by the General Subsidies Law, is that they be registered in the MAPA Register of Shared Ownership Agricultural Holdings (RETICOM) one month prior to the date of publication of the extract of the call for applications in the Official State Gazette (BOE).
• Beneficiary entities must remain registered with RETICOM for at least five years , and their owners must remain registered with Social Security for the same minimum period, with some exceptions (such as, for example, in the case of dissolution of an ETC due to the retirement of one of its owners).
• Entities wishing to apply for aid will have to submit a series of forms , which must be done in all cases through the electronic headquarters from the MAP.

Background

The 2021 call, which was the first, was very well received, with 729 beneficiary farms (80% of the farms eligible for subsidies), each of which received a grant of €1,371.74.

What is shared ownership?

In order to alleviate the inequality and invisibility of rural women 's work in the agricultural sector, Law 35/2011 on shared ownership of agricultural holdings came into force on January 5, 2012. This law allows women to maintain equal rights with their partners in the management of their farms and to be recognized for all the rights derived from their work. Its objectives are:

• Professionalize women's agricultural activity.
• Improve female participation in agricultural organizations.
• Make women's work on farms visible.
• Promote equality and improve the quality of life in rural areas.
• Help the settlement of the rural population.

What does shared ownership mean for agricultural holdings?

• Representation on exploitation between the two full members.
• 50% distribution of returns.
• Consideration of both owners as direct beneficiaries of the aid and subsidies to which the farm is subject.
• Social Security contributions by both members.

You can obtain more information about this figure at the following link: https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/desarrollo-rural/temas/igualdad_genero_y_des_sostenible/titularidad_compartida/default.aspx