Less-favoured agricultural areas in Vienna

Less-favoured agricultural areas are territories with specific handicaps (economic, agricultural, physical and demographic), natural and permanent, linked to terrain, altitude, slope and soil, in which the maintenance of agricultural activity is necessary for the maintenance of the natural area (see Directive 75/268/EEC). They carry the public policy of support to agriculture (CHN aid) in its environmental and social functions which make it an important contributor to the sustainable development of the economy. Compensatory allowances for natural handicaps (ICHN) contribute to the maintenance of a viable rural community in disadvantaged areas and thus help to balance the occupation of the territory by economic and human activities. The classification, in whole or in part, of municipalities into less-favoured areas is laid down by decree of the ministry responsible for agriculture. It is divided into five types of less-favoured area: high mountain, mountain, dry mountain, foothill and simple less-favoured areas.