John Perry
Question:130 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to the circumstances outlined in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19582/04]
View answerTuesday, 29 June 2004
Questions (132)
Written answers
The position is that European Commission Regulation 795/2004 provides that when single payment entitlements are being calculated for farmers affected by agri-environmental commitments during the reference period, care must be taken to avoid "double compensation". The Commission regulation gives farmers the option of either getting the single payment based on a reference period when no stock reduction was in place and getting a reduced agri-environmental payment or getting the single payment based on the reference period 2000 to 2002 and getting an agri-environmental payment which includes an element of compensation for destocking.
For those farmers who are currently participating in REPS and who had reduced sheep numbers during the reference period 2000-2002, my Department intends to use that reference period in calculating the single payment. This means that the single payment will be based on years when sheep numbers were reduced but the intention is that the farmers concerned, if they entered into REPS contracts before January 2005, will be entitled to keep the existing payment under measure A for the duration of those contracts. Individual farmers in this category will be able to apply to my Department to exercise the option outlined earlier.
My Department intends to use the average amount paid in the reference years 1997-98 for all farmers currently participating in the national compensation scheme. This means farmers concerned will get the benefit of the ewe numbers that they had prior to the destocking that took place at the end of 1998. This will have to be offset by a reduction in the level of compensation payable from 2005 onwards by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The farmers concerned will not therefore suffer any loss.