Vol. 576 No. 2
62 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his view on the request of a group (details supplied) that entitlements established prior to joining the early retirement scheme will be retained by them following the mid-term CAP review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29209/03]
My officials are in continuing discussions with the European Commission on the detailed rules for implementing the mid-term review agreement. It may be some time yet before the position is clear. However, my officials have already raised, and will continue to raise, a number of issues relating to farmers that have retired under the early retirement schemes and the implications decoupling and the single payment scheme will have for them.
A farmer who joined the early retirement scheme has undertaken to give up farming permanently. Therefore, he or she cannot be regarded as a farmer when the time comes to activate single payment entitlements in 2005. The legal position regarding the single payment system, as laid down in the Council Regulation, is that entitlements are not linked to land but to farmers who were active during the reference period and who remain active farmers in 2005.
Retired farmers cannot themselves activate entitlements that were earned during the reference period. However, the Commission has indicated that it favours arrangements that will allow family members who take over these holdings to have access to the national reserve. This would include cases where the land was leased to a non-family member at the time of retirement because a family member, usually a son or daughter, was not yet ready or eligible as a transferee but subsequently takes over.
My officials will continue working to secure as favourable an outcome as possible to these and other issues affecting retired farmers, having regard to the legitimate aspirations of the various stakeholders.
