Following my decision that all direct payments under the livestock premia and arable aid schemes will be decoupled from production with effect from 1 January 2005 and replaced by the single payment scheme, I decided that farmers who feel that their farming enterprise was adversely affected by force majeure/exceptional circumstances could apply to my Department to have their case considered.
An application has been received from the person named, and is currently under consideration and the person named will be notified of my Department's decision in due course. It is expected that the full details in relation to new entrants will be clarified with the publication of the EU Commission's detailed rules concerning the application of Council Regulation EC no 1782/2003.