About us

The State Agricultural Intervention Fund (SZIF) is a legal entity headquartered in Prague with regional offices across the Czech Republic. The SZIF’s activities are governed by Act No 256/2000 on the State Agricultural Intervention Fund, as amended by Act No 128/2003, Act No 85/2004 and implementing legal regulations in the form of the government’s implementing decrees.

The State Agricultural Intervention Fund (SZIF) is an accredited paying agency that acts as an intermediary responsible for the administration of financial subsidies allocated from EU funds and Czech national resources. Under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, EU subsidies are provided from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and, in the 2007–2013 and 2014–2020 programming periods, from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Fisheries Fund (EFF). The Horizontal Rural Development Plan (HRDP) and Operational Programme Rural Development and Multifunctional Agriculture have been replaced by the EAFRD-funded Rural Development Programme (RDP).

Three main EU principles are set out under the EU’s Common Agriculture Policy:

• Market Unity – a single market of agricultural products with common prices
• Community Preference – priority given to production from the EU countries at the expense of external competitors
• Financial Solidarity – financing from a common fund to which EU countries contribute

EU-financed subsidisation is based on direct payments implemented under a simplified system of pay-outs per hectare of agriculture land. The 2007 launch of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) was a major challenge and opportunity for the agricultural sector. There is also a framework of “Common Market Organisation” measures aimed at minimising market fluctuations and supporting farmers in their agricultural business.

The SZIF manages and controls the following payments:

• Common Market Organization
• Intervention measures
• Export subsidies linked to export licences
• Single Area Payment Scheme (SAPS)

The SZIF (within the scope of the EAGF) is also responsible for the administration of the following:

• Export / import licences
• Security deposits
• Production quota system
• Collection of financial levies from sugar production
• Premium rights (for cows not used market milk production and ewes)
• KLASA national food product quality mark

• AXIS I – Improving the competitiveness of the farmer and forestry sector
  • Measures focused on restructuring and developing of physical capital and innovation support
  • Transitional measures for the Czech Republic and other new EU Member States
  • Measures focused on the support of knowledge and human potential improvement


• AXIS II – Improving the environment and countryside
  • 2.1. Measures focused on the sustainable use of farm land
  • 2.2. Measures focused on the sustainable use of forest land


• AXIS III – Quality of life in rural areas and diversification of the rural economy
  • 3.1. Measures for diversification of the rural economy
  • 3.2. Measures for the improvement of the life quality in rural areas
  • 3.3. Measures on the training and awareness of economic operators in the areas to which the Axis III refers


• AXIS IV – Leader approach
  • 4.1. Implementation of a local development strategy
  • 4.2. Implementation of cooperation projects
  • Technical assistance
  • Preparation, monitoring, evaluation, information and inspections within the programme
  • Establishment and operation of a nationwide network for rural areas

• Fisheries support