DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (97/09) issued by
COI News Distribution Service on 29 April 2009
Farmers, land
owners, and the public will be able to have their say on how
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) money could be managed more effectively.
A consultation on changes to the eligibility rules for the Single
Payment Scheme (SPS) was launched today by Farming Minister Jane Kennedy.
In England the minimum area for SPS claims can now be set between
one and five hectares.
Defra is seeking views on the most suitable size limit in order
to assess the potential benefits of a reduced administrative
burden balanced against any impacts on the amount of land managed
under cross compliance Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition.
The proposals are the result of improvements to the CAP achieved
at the CAP Health Check last year and any changes will be
implemented in time for the 2010 SPS payments.
Ms Kennedy said:
"The concessions that were won in Brussels last year will
help us to simplify the notoriously complex CAP payments system.
The introduction of a minimum claim size could also help.
"Ultimately, we want to see a CAP that rewards farmers for
the public benefits they deliver, including looking after the
environment - benefits which wouldn't otherwise be provided
by the market."
The 2008 Health Check has resulted in a number of changes to the
SPS and other direct payment schemes.
The consultation will run for twelve weeks until 22 July.
Notes to Editors
1. The Single Payment Scheme (SPS) was introduced in England in
2005 under the 2003 CAP reforms. Around £1.5 billion is paid out
annually under the scheme to English farmers by the Rural Payments
Agency (RPA), an Executive Agency of Defra.
2. Political agreement was reached on the CAP Health Check at the
EU Agriculture Council on 20 November 2008 and the legal text was
adopted on 19 January 2009. Further details can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/healthcheck/index_en.htm
3. From 2012 payments for nuts and proteins can no longer be made
separately as part of the CAP and will instead form part of the
SPS payments. Defra is also seeking views during this consultation
on how and when the nuts and protein funds should be added into
the SPS.
4. The consultation document also asks whether we should
introduce new criteria to exclude from the SPS claimants for whom
agricultural activity is not the main part or purpose of their business.
5. Further details on the SPS can be found on the Defra website
at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/singlepay/index.htm
6. For full details on the consultation visit: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/sps/index.htm
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