Michael Ring
Question:134 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when his Department changed the rules for REP schemes. [8852/04]
View answerTuesday, 23 March 2004
Questions (141)
Written answers
The rural environment protection scheme was first introduced in 1994 in implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2078/92 and the scheme terms and conditions and agrienvironmental specifications were first published in May 1994. The terms and conditions were updated by documents dated 1 February 1997 and 1 January 1999, and the agrienvironmental specifications were updated by documents dated 15 May 1996 and 1 January 1999.
The first scheme closed to new entrants in December 1999 and a successor scheme was introduced in November 2000 in implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/1999. The scheme terms and conditions are set out in the published scheme documentation dated 27 November 2000. Proposals for amendments to REPS were formally submitted to the European Commission in December 2003 and are currently being considered by the Commission services. When these proposals are approved, the existing scheme documentation will again be revised to reflect increases in payment rates and in areas eligible for payment, together with other proposed amendments.