Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has poured cold water over the possibility of the Department of Agriculture providing payment top ups for farmers with GAEC 2 lands.
Earlier this month, the European Commission published plans to make CAP schemes simpler and these proposals outlined Brussels’ intention of allowing member states to pay eco scheme or agri-environmental scheme top ups to certain farmers with GAEC 2 lands.
However, Minister Heydon stated that the proposal does not look applicable to the roll out of the GAEC 2 cross compliance standard in Ireland, as the Department’s conditions are those which are already laid down in national law.
Additional payments for GAEC 2, as proposed by the Commission, would only cater for costs incurred by farmers in adhering to GAEC rules.
“The simplification proposal provides that costs arising from GAEC 2 compliance can now be included in the calculation of costs for eco-schemes or agri-environmental schemes,” the minister said in response to a question from Labour Party TD Robert O'Donoghue last week.
“It is important to note two points regarding the possibility of providing specific support measures under the CAP strategic plan for GAEC 2 requirements.
“First, Ireland's CAP strategic plan funding is already fully committed under the existing schemes and no new funding is available as part of the simplification proposals.
“Second, the GAEC 2 standard for Ireland, as recently introduced, is based on existing national legislation and usual farming practices.”
The minister’s clarification of what the GAEC 2 simplification proposals mean in an Ireland-specific context comes after many Irish MEPs welcomed the Commission’s move on the cross compliance standard.
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