Vol. 510 No. 3
50 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the arrangements, if any, he is making in regard to those producers coming to the end of their five year participation in the REP scheme; if the more intensive farmers who are outside the scheme will be given the opportunity to join; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22334/99]
My Department is writing to all participants who have completed their five year contract in the REP scheme and informing them of the options available under the transitional arrangement announced by the EU in July 1999. The participants have the option of extending their contract for a further year or of terminating their participation in the scheme.
Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/1999, which comes into effect on 1 January 2000, sets out the criteria to be met in agri-environment programmes for which support shall be granted. Under the regulation agri-environment programmes shall support an environmentally favourable extensification of farming and management of low intensity pasture systems. Generous levels of compensation will be available to farmers who agree to farm in accordance with these requirements. In many cases this will require farmers to move to more extensive systems.
Proposals for a revised REP scheme are being prepared by my Department for submission to the EU Commission. I expect that the revised scheme will prove attractive to farmers and that the participation rate will increase significantly above the current level of 43,000 farmers.
