DIONE

An integrated EO-based toolbox for modernising CAP area-based compliance checks and assessing respective environmental impact

Start date: 01/01/2020

Duration: 30 months

Topic: DT-SPACE-01-EO-2018-2020 – Copernicus market uptake

Total budget: EUR 2 377 125

As part of its ongoing move to simplify and modernise the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP), the European Commission has adopted new rules to allow a range of modern technologies to be used when carrying out checks for area-based CAP payments. For instance, new satellite technology will reduce the number of field inspections and the costs for administrating controls and checks. Building on these advances, the EU-funded DIONE project is developing a direct payment controlling instrument to direct the expected modernised CAP rule on the use of advanced technology. A machine learning-based system developed on a regional or national scale will evaluate current soil quality levels to form evidence-based conclusions regarding eventual environmental impacts on an entire region.

The DIONE Toolbox is an integrated service-based solution for paying agencies to abide by the Modernised CAP regulations, while at the same time pave the way for a concrete environmental performance evaluation of greening in a national or regional level, depending on the agency’s jurisdiction. The DIONE toolbox will include a Green Compliance toolbox, allowing paying agencies to check the compliance of farmers but at the same time monitor the green direct payments’ environmental performance.

The integrated EO-based DIONE’ toolbox delivers clear economic value to key targeted customers, estimating to lower administrative and operational costs to 30% of the current ones related to CAP area-based compliance checks and assessment of respective environmental impacts.

The DIONE Consortium comprises 8 partners from 5 European countries: Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (Greece), Diabalkaniko Kentro Periballontos (Greece), Sinergise – Laboratorij za geografske informacijske sisteme doo (Slovenia), Core Innovation and Technology OE (Greece), National Paying Agency (Lithuania), InoSens doo (Serbia), GILab doo (Serbia) and Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organisation (Cyprus).

DIONE AT A GLANCE

DIONE offers more frequent, wider sample and auditable proof of compliance checks

Support development of commercial products by using Copernicus EO data

To deploy, pilot test and validate DIONE toolbox in a real operational environment

Tools for simplified and less expensive monitoring of area-based CAP payments

Lower administrative and operational cost

OUR ROLE

Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication of DIONE

Within DIONE, InoSens is leading dissemination, communication and exploitation activities with a special focus on developing business plan and IP management. InoSens is also responsible for producing documentation and communication material oriented directly to the targeted stakeholders, mainly to Paying Agencies and other relevant stakeholders, as future clients/users of DIONE as well as to capitalize on existing dissemination channels and networks to raise awareness of the new EO technologies within the targeted stakeholders and foster synergies with other initiatives. In addition, InoSens will determine a business model for DIONE’s toolbox and an appropriate IP management strategy for the solution delivery to the market.