2. European Livestock Policy Evaluation Network: development of a livestock policy decision support system

3. Funding Research project funded by FP5 Quality of Life, Sustainable Agriculture Co-funding

4. To use state of the art technology to build a decision support system that will be capable of answering specific questions posed by policy makers about the economic, environmental and social impacts of policy related to livestock ELPEN Objective

5. Concerted Action ( FAIR Programme ) Feasibility Study Could we build a DSS to aid policy formulation in the livestock sector? Background

6. Conclusion of feasibility study Demand from policy makers Principles of the methodology were established Data sources identified Methods of classifying data related to livestock systems developed Proposal to build system accepted and funded under QoL Programme

7. Policy makers’ needs Technical and biological data to assess management practices Flexible scale Economic impacts Environmental impacts Social impacts Links to other sectors Analysis of impacts of future policy trends Geographically specific

8. The ELPEN decision support system impacts (economic, social and environmental) Policy questions Knowledge system Data description Spatial data ELPEN Statistical data

10. The ELPEN Network Network of over 170 experts throughout the EU –Expert knowledge (range of disciplines) –Workshops –questionnaires –Internet communication

11. The role of the End Users Group To provide guidance to the ELPEN Management Team on the development of the ELPEN system To assist in the definition of the form of output to be produced To help prioritise the policy issues to be addressed

12. End Users Group European Commission staff Representatives of National co-funders

13. Development of ELPEN system Start with simple questions Incorporate data incrementally Move to more complex questions

14. Conclusions of first End Users Meeting System would be used by experts and results made available to end users in response to particular questions Contact with DG Agric GIS, Eurostat GISCO From a range of possible test policy questions four were identified

15. First year questions 1. Where are different types of dairy farms located and what landscape/biophysical features are they associated with? 2. Where are the most polluting dairy farms located and what landscapes are they associated with? 3. Where are the farms that are most vulnerable to a drop in milk price? 4. Where are the rural communities that depend most strongly on dairy systems?

16. Objectives for today Comment on what has been done so far Provide guidance on policy questions Comment on type of output

17. Agenda 9:50 Xabier Goenaga head of unit RTD E03: Opening address 10:00 Introduction to ELPEN project: Iain Wright (Coordinator) 10:15 Where are the different types of dairy farms located?: Marta Perez Soba 10:30 Where are the most polluting dairy farm types located?: Erling Andersen 10:45 Where are the dairy farms that are most vulnerable to a reduction in the milk price?: Peter Hinrichs 11:00 Where are the rural communities that depend most strongly on dairy systems? Dimitrios Dimopoulos 11:15 Structures, classification and technical description of livestock systems: Jerry Laker 11.30 Demonstration of prototype ELPEN system: Janneke Roos 11:45 General discussion of progress achieved in year 1 12:15 Priorities for year 2: Iain Wright 12.30 Discussion 13.00 Close

18. Priorities for year 2? Continue to work on dairy systems Other sectors? –Sheep and goats –Beef What are the main policy issues?