The European Commission has indicated that Ireland will be able to extend existing GLAS contracts by up to two years, according to IFA rural development chair Michael Biggins. Without an extension, some 36,000 farmers could be without €150m worth of supports next year as their GLAS I and GLAS II contracts expire this year.

Biggins, who attended a meeting of the Rural Development Civil Dialogue Group addressed by Commission officials in Brussels this week, said it would be possible for new farmers to enter into agri-environmental contracts.

GLAS farmers receive an average payment of €4,200 and there is currently no direct replacement for this income support. The EU is in the process of agreeing transition regulations which would extend the old policy using new money until the next CAP is ready to start.

EU budget delays have pushed back the next CAP, and a replacement agri-environment scheme, by at least one year and probably two.

There are 13,000 GLAS III farmers receiving €54m annually whose contracts run until the end of 2021 who could be affected if the CAP delay is two years.

Around 3,000 farmers have been left without an agri-environmental payment since

the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS) finished in 2017.

There are also new entrants to farming since 2016 who were unable to join GLAS.

The IFA is calling for an agri-environmental scheme with a basic payment of €10,000 with higher payments for farmers with designated NATURA land and commonages.

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