Vol. 514 No. 3
148 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development further to parliamentary Question No. 138 of 2 February 2000, the position in relation to forage areas in the area aid scheme and extensification scheme where part of the declared forage area includes, under the REP scheme, a destocked commonage and a winterage which is permitted to be grazed in the period November to March. [4242/00]
Commission Regulation 3887/92 which lays down the detailed rules for implementing the integrated administration and control system requires that each forage area must be available for rearing animals for a minimum period of seven months, starting on a date to be determined by the member state, which must be between 1 January and 31 March. Any areas which, because of requirements under the rural environment protection scheme, REPS, are only permitted to be grazed between November and March should not be declared as forage area on an area aid application. Such areas cannot be taken into account as forage area for either extensification premium purposes, or, for the application of the limit of two livestock units per forage hectare on suckler cow and special beef premium payments.
Any areas which are required to be totally destocked under a REPS plan are not available for rearing animals and they should not be declared as forage area in an area aid application. Such areas cannot be taken into account as forage area for either extensification premium purposes or for the application of the limit of two livestock units per forage hectare on suckler cow and special beef premium payments.
