Bernard Allen
Question:137 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number and type of farm and stock inspections that a farmer may have to undergo. [20188/04]
View answerTuesday, 6 July 2004
Questions (110)
Written answers
The position is that under EU regulations governing the single payment scheme each member state is obliged to carry out a minimum number of on-farm checks each year to establish eligibility of land declared and ensure compliance with various management requirements and good agricultural and environmental conditions.
A minimum of 5% of farmers will be subject to on-farm checks on declared lands. The inspection approach will be similar to the annual area aid inspections. Some of these checks will be carried out by way of remote sensing.
Farmers in receipt of the single payment scheme are also obliged to comply with the statutory management requirements on environment, identification and registration of animals, public, animal and plant health and animal welfare. Farmers are also obliged to keep their land in good agricultural and environmental condition. It will be necessary to inspect 1% of farmers to assess compliance with statutory management requirements with the exception of identification and registration of animals where 5% of applicants must be inspected.
My Department is in the process of drawing up an integrated control system for cross-compliance. My policy is to limit the number of on-farm checks. It is difficult to estimate the number of inspections overall, but there will be a significant reduction on the current number, which is approaching 20,000 on-farm checks per year.
I am conscious of the need to simplify the on-farm checks to the greatest extent possible consistent with a system that will be acceptable to the European Commission. Consultation will take place with all interested parties before 1 January next. I intend for farmers to be informed about the minimum standards that they will be expected to meet under the various directives, including the requirement to keep land in good agricultural and environmental condition.