Michael Ring
Question:98 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if commonage land declared in the 1999 area aid application will be eligible for the new REPS/SMA payments of £77 per acre. [18874/00]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
Under the conditions on which the European Commission approved supplementary measure A eligibility of commonage land for payment under the rural environment protection scheme was confined to owned commonage shares on which farming rights were being exercised. Leased commonage is expressly excluded for payment under the measure. No change in these terms is proposed in the new rural environment protection scheme which was submitted to the European Commission as part of the Rural Development Plan 2000-2006. My Department is reviewing the manner in which the requirement relating to farmers owning and exercising farming rights over lands is interpreted. Any proposed changes arising from this review may require to be discussed with the European Commission to ensure that they would not adversely impact on the operation of REPS. The declaration of any lands, including commonage, for area aid does not in itself establish eligibility for payment under REPS as each application must conform to the conditions of the particular scheme.
Michael Ring
Question:99 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he will ensure that REPS applicants whose anniversaries will fall on 1 January 2001, due to the transition arrangement be given a future extension to alleviate administrative delays in his Department; and if REPS applicants whose payments are delayed due to Department administrative problems will be issued with an interim payment in advance of inspection. [18875/00]
Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2603/1999, which lays down rules for the transition to the rural development support provided for by Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/1999, provides that agri-environment commitments terminating before the rural development plan is approved by the Commission may be extended by up to a maximum period of one year, but in no case extending beyond 31 December 2000. The transitional arrangements permit the making of additional payments to participants whose five year contracts have run their full course for clearly defined periods. However, the regulatory provisions currently in force preclude the granting of further extensions. When the rural development plan is approved by the European Commission, the necessary administrative procedures for the new REP scheme can be put in place. On implementation of the new scheme it will be open to farmers to make application under the terms and conditions of the scheme in force at that time. New five year contracts will run from the commencement date of the new plan. The administrative and inspection arrangements relating to the operation of the scheme, together with the human and other resources available to it, are currently under review with a view to minimising delays in processing applications under the new scheme.