Inclusive of amendments of 30 September 2008, of 15 May 2009
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- Commonage Land outside the Natura 2000 Network
- Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) outside the Natura 2000 Network
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Organic Farming(Stand-alone measure) Organic food is quality food produced to strict, legally-based, internationally-recognised standards. Organic farming represents a different view of farming systems, which places a strong emphasis on environmentally friendly practices, with particular concern for animal welfare. The principles and methods employed in organic farming promote practices that co-exist with natural systems and help protect and enhance the environment. The objective of this measure is to promote conversion to organic production methods, thereby delivering enhanced environmental benefits and responding to supply deficits and societal demands for organic produce. Participants of this measure must hold a licence issued by one of the Certifying Bodies approved by the Department of Agriculture and Food, be registered as an organic producer with the Department’s Organic Unit, comply with the provisions of Council Regulation 2092/91 (as amended) on the organic production area of the holding and be subject to annual inspection. Farmers may opt to convert all or part of the holding and may participate in this measure on a stand-alone basis outside of the general REPS programme. Where only part of the holding is converted the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions and Statutory Management Requirements of the Single Payment Scheme must be respected on the entire holding. In the interest of crop rotation and optimising output, organic producers may apply to exchange parcels of full organic status. The payment rate will be increased for the conversion period for conventional stockless tillage producers who participate in the stand-alone organic measure only, and grow green manure during the two-year conversion process. This payment is justified on the basis that there is no market return on the area during conversion. The objective of this is to maximise the incorporation of organic matter in preparation for organic production. Only areas declared on the Integrated Administrative and Control Systems (IACS) will be considered for payment. Commonage Land outside the Natura 2000 NetworkObjective To provide a comprehensive approach to the conservation and/or regeneration of non-designated commonage land Scope and actions The farming conditions for commonage land are set out in Commonage Framework Plans. These plans set out the environmental condition of the commonage and appropriate agricultural activity to ensure environmental sustainability, including where necessary a reduction in the grazing pressure to be achieved by destocking of sheep. While approximately 40 per cent of commonage land is not designated under Natura 2000, it is subject to the same restrictions as designated commonage. The difference is that for Natura commonages, the restrictions – the management prescriptions in the Commonage Framework Plans – are legally binding, whereas for non-Natura commonages they are voluntary (with the exception of the maximum stocking levels in the Framework Plans). Therefore, in the absence of a facility to make Natura 2000 payments on this land, the agri-environment payment rate is fixed at a similar rate to Natura 2000 commonage payments. The proposed rates of payment and the justification are set out in the relevant table in Appendix 3. Relevant baseline GAEC requires a farmer to comply with the stock numbers outlined in the Commonage Framework Plan. GAEC does not require a management regime for grazing animals. There is no mandatory requirement to retain habitats on non Natura 2000 commonage lands. Core actions Habitats on these non-designated commonages must be maintained under voluntary agri-environmental commitments. Farmers with non-Natura commonage cannot, inter alia, afforest the lands, carry out any land improvement works including drainage, or cut turf commercially. In addition to abiding by the GAEC requirement to implement the reduced stocking requirement set out in the relevant Commonage Framework Plan, farmers must implement a sustainable grazing regime contributing to the maintenance of the habitat and avoidance of land abandonment. This may require a farmer to maintain a sheep flock that is economically unviable. To protect against the possibility of the submission of payment claims in respect of dormant commonage shares, eligibility for payment will normally (except in the case of inheritance, setting up young farmers and transferees under the Early Retirement Scheme) be restricted to commonage shares declared on IACS in the five years preceding the date of the REPS application. Amount: €282 per hectare up to 40 hectares, €29 per hectare on next 40 hectares €22 per hectare on next 40 hectares and €5 per hectare for each hectare above 120 hectares Follow up: Compliance will be checked during on-farm audits, and non-compliance will result in application of penalties. Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) outside the Natura 2000 NetworkObjective To provide a comprehensive approach to the conservation and/or regeneration of nationally designated sites outside of the Natura 2000 network Scope and actions The basic designation for wildlife in Ireland is the Natural Heritage Area. This is a national designation and many of the NHA sites have overlapping Natura 2000 designation. Some NHA sites, however, are not designated under Natura 2000 but are important in a national context and it is these sites that this measure is designed to address. The preparation of the REPS plan requires professional environmentalist input to assess the environmental condition of the site and prescribe appropriate management practices for the retention of the habitat. Relevant baseline GAEC requires that the land be maintained in a state that permits continued agricultural production. Core actions In addition to complying with the basic core measures, farmers must implement the prescribed management regime for the maintenance of the habitat and avoidance of land abandonment. This may require a farmer to maintain livestock that are economically unviable. Amount: €282 per hectare up to 40 hectares, €29 per hectare on next 40 hectares €22 per hectare on next 40 hectares and €5 per hectare for each hectare above 120 hectares Follow up: Compliance will be checked during on-farm audits, and non-compliance will result in application of penalties. The description of the methodology and of the agronomic assumptions and parametres (including the description of the baseline requirements, which are relevant for each particular type of commitment) is used as a reference point for the calculations justifying: (a) additional costs; (b) income foregone resulting from the commitment made; and (c) level of the transaction costs. Where relevant, this methodology should take into account aid granted under Regulation (EC) num. 1782/2003. Where appropriate, the conversion method should be that used for other units in accordance with Article 27.9 of the implementing rules. A description of the methodology, assumptions, and parametres of eligible costs and aid intensity are detailed in the table of costings in Appendix 3. The minimum requirements for fertiliser and plant protection products used and other mandatory requirements such as: minimum requirements for fertilisers must include, inter alia, the Codes of Good Practice introduced under the Nitrates Directive for farms outside Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, and requirements concerning phosphorus pollution. Minimum requirements for plant protection products must include, inter alia, requirements to have a licence to use the products and meet training obligations, requirements on safe storage, the checking of application machinery and rules on pesticide-use close to water and other sensitive sites. Baseline requirements of all farmers using plant protection and biocidal products35
Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions referred to in Article 5 and Annex IV of Council Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003
By Government decision Ireland adopted a whole-territory approach to the implementation of the Nitrates Directive in 2003. The whole-territory approach was designed to ensure a comprehensive approach to the reduction and prevention of pollution from all agricultural sources. In line with decisions of the European Court of Justice in cases arising in other Member States, Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme addresses reduction/prevention of pollution from phosphorus as well as from nitrogen. The Action Programme is given legal effect by Regulation SI No. 378 of 2006. The measures, objectives and criteria applied in the selection of beneficiaries by calls for tender are in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 39.4 of Regulation 1698/2005 The scheme will be open to all farmers and, accordingly, provisions relating to calls for tender are not relevant. Evidence as referred to in Article 48(2) of the implementing rules allow the Commission to check the consistency and plausibility of the calculations. The costings have been independently verified by Teagasc.
Island farmers face additional costs because of their location. It is therefore also proposed that land farmed on offshore islands will receive an additional 15 per cent to take account of the increased costs of carrying out the agri-environment undertakings. Cumulation of Aid
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