Under the provisions of Council Regulation (EC) No 73/2009, land, which was afforested in 2013, is eligible to activate payment entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme and to benefit from payment provided that the following criteria are met by applicants:
- The land to be afforested was declared under the 2008 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) and was eligible for payment.
- The applicant who declared that land was paid under the 2008 Single Payment Scheme and the land was eligible to draw down an SPS payment.
- Applicants who afforest part of their holding and wish to benefit from the Single Payment, must retain at least 10% of the eligible hectares declared in 2008 (by the applicant or his predecessor) in an agricultural activity subject to a minimum of 3 hectares.
- The afforested land meets all the requirements of the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme, FEPS or the Native Woodland Establishment Scheme.
- Eligible forestry parcels that are declared on SPS applications to activate entitlements will also be subject to cross-compliance requirements.
Afforested land is not eligible for payment under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.