Possibility for GLAS extension

The contracts for 36,000 GLAS farmers are due to expire at the end of this year, while a further 12,000 contracts will expire at the end of 2021. It had been expected that a new CAP would be in place with a replacement agri-environmental scheme rolled out for next year, but that will not be the case. Instead, a transitional CAP period will be needed. The farmers whose contracts are up face missing out on vital payments. However, the IFA has said that the European Commission will allow member states to reopen their schemes during the transitional period.

It looks like this will be relevant for all GLAS farmers as the European Parliament has backed a two year, rather than a one year, delay to CAP.

IFA rural development chair Michael Biggins said that it is very clear that existing contracts can be extended by one or two years. The next Government can’t allow a gap in GLAS payments, he added.

Under the transitional rules laid out by the European Commission and voted on by the European Parliament’s agriculture committee, it will be possible for new shorter environmental schemes to be rolled out during the transition period.

This is relevant for the 3,000 AEOS farmers whose contracts finished at the end of 2017, as well as new entrants to farming since 2016 who were denied entry to GLAS.