Farmers could be hit with fines on their 2025 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) payments if there are further delays to the introduction of new GAEC 2 peatland and wetland rules, the Irish Farmers Journal understands.

The CAP rules must be applied to the approximately 32,000 farmers on affected peatlands and wetlands before BISS applications close this year, or the European Commission will impose fines on Ireland understood to equate to 10% of all BISS funding.

The Commission has ruled out any further delay to the rules, but the new restrictions have yet to be signed off by Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon, who has sought a meeting with farming organisations in a bid to find agreement on draft proposals already brought before the CAP monitoring committee. The new rules could see restrictions imposed on land reclamation works and the digging of new drains on peaty soils.