Vol. 573 No. 4
200 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to the impact that the Agenda 2002 review agreement on decoupling will have on a person (details supplied); if a force majeure can be applied to this person in view of the circumstances outlined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25746/03]
Following the Agenda 2000 mid-term review agreement, I have decided that all direct payments will be fully decoupled from production as and from 1 January 2005. With effect from 2005, the decoupled payment, to be known as the single payment scheme, will be based on the average amount paid to the farmer under the various premia schemes for the years 2000-02 inclusive. The average amount is determined by taking the three-yearly average number of animals or arable hectares which attracted payment, multiplying by the premium rate for 2002, the highest rate under Agenda 2000, and dividing by the average number of hectares over the three year period.
The result is that a certain number of payment entitlements are established. The total number of entitlements will be equal to the average number of hectares in the reference period, while the value of each entitlement will be the figure obtained by dividing the average amount determined for the reference period by the average number of hectares. Farmers for whom entitlements have been established must activate those entitlements in 2005 by continuing to farm and submitting an area aid declaration in that year.
There are provisions under the European Council regulation for allowing force majeure in certain instances. However, the farmer will have to apply to be considered under force majeure and submit detailed documentary evidence to support his-her case. Application forms to claim force majeure will be available from my Department in due course and I will arrange to have an application form sent to the person named as soon as they become available.
