IFA lobbies European Commission on changes to the RDP
Changes to the Rural Development Programme (RDP) including TAMS, the Burren programme, Knowledge Transfer and GLAS were agreed at a meeting with the European Commission, the IFA says.
The IFA called for more flexibility within the RDP to ensure full utilisation of the €4bn available up to 2020. Photo:Valerie O'Sullivan
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At a meeting in Brussel with European Commission rural development officials this week, the IFA called for more flexibility within the RDP to ensure full utilisation of the €4bn available up to 2020.
The Department of Agricutlure submitted a request for amendments to the 2014-2020 RDP earlier this year and the Irish Farmers Journal understands a reply from the European Commission is expected at the end of this month.
The IFA says its representatives were assured that amendments such as reintroducing the Sheep Fencing Scheme, can be implemented. Suggested amendments to the RDP also apply to TAMS measures for grain farmers, including the Burren conservation scheme in the RDP, two payments under the Knowledge Transfer (KT) programme for farmers with more than one enterprise and some technical changes to GLAS.
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The IFA argues that these schemes should be made available now, in advance of the formal approval by the Commission, as the next tranche of TAMS starts on 28 March for all schemes. If changes are not introduced now, farmers will be left waiting until the following tranche, which will be three months later - meaning little or no investment by farmers or money will be paid out this year.
On Monday, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Developent Phil Hogan said rural development programmes could be amended to alleviate the current income crisis and deplored that too few countries were going down that route – without naming any. "I have said it before and it bears repeating that members states are not making adequate use of the various rural development tools available. In fact, the take-up of some of the instruments which could help in situations like this is very disappointing," Hogan said, adding: "I have instructed my services to work together with the MS to see where and how RDPs can be adjusted to make them more responsive to the current crisis."
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Title: IFA lobbies European Commission on changes to the RDP
Changes to the Rural Development Programme (RDP) including TAMS, the Burren programme, Knowledge Transfer and GLAS were agreed at a meeting with the European Commission, the IFA says.
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At a meeting in Brussel with European Commission rural development officials this week, the IFA called for more flexibility within the RDP to ensure full utilisation of the €4bn available up to 2020.
The Department of Agricutlure submitted a request for amendments to the 2014-2020 RDP earlier this year and the Irish Farmers Journal understands a reply from the European Commission is expected at the end of this month.
The IFA says its representatives were assured that amendments such as reintroducing the Sheep Fencing Scheme, can be implemented. Suggested amendments to the RDP also apply to TAMS measures for grain farmers, including the Burren conservation scheme in the RDP, two payments under the Knowledge Transfer (KT) programme for farmers with more than one enterprise and some technical changes to GLAS.
The IFA argues that these schemes should be made available now, in advance of the formal approval by the Commission, as the next tranche of TAMS starts on 28 March for all schemes. If changes are not introduced now, farmers will be left waiting until the following tranche, which will be three months later - meaning little or no investment by farmers or money will be paid out this year.
On Monday, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Developent Phil Hogan said rural development programmes could be amended to alleviate the current income crisis and deplored that too few countries were going down that route – without naming any. "I have said it before and it bears repeating that members states are not making adequate use of the various rural development tools available. In fact, the take-up of some of the instruments which could help in situations like this is very disappointing," Hogan said, adding: "I have instructed my services to work together with the MS to see where and how RDPs can be adjusted to make them more responsive to the current crisis."
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