Farmers’ checks will be once a year, the rest of the space

The European Commission has proposed on Wednesday a package of measures to facilitate the life of farmers by eliminating some of the requirements for obtaining European subsidies.

This is the third set of bills on the European Commission’s new priority to eliminate unnecessary legislation in order to unload the business from bureaucracy and to allow it to improve its competitiveness. The previous two referred to environmental requirements for green transaction companies.

The new initiatives that must be approved by the Member States and the European Parliament, before being implemented, envisage facilitating the ecological compliance checks and the payment schemes, as well as additional compensation options in natural or health events.

Reduction of checks

The European Commission proposes a reduction in environmental -compliance checks made by national authorities to assess whether farmers meet the requirements for obtaining subsidies from the European budget.

On -site checks will be reduced to one year, and during the rest of the data time will rely on satellite monitoring and other remote control technologies. The evaluation will focus on the national rules if they overlap with the European ones to have greater compliance with local conditions and practices.

Certified biological holdings will automatically be considered to meet some of the EU’s environmental requirements for financing.

In order to achieve some of the highest eco-designs, farmers will be able to apply for incentives to protect the peat and wetlands.

Simplified payment scheme

The legislative proposal provides for an increase in the one -time annual payment for small farms to increase from 1250 to 2500 euros as a measure to return the village to young people.

Small farms will be released from some environmental rules for tiering conditions, while taking advantage of payments that reward eco -friendly agriculture (ecoshemes).

For small farmers, it is offered a reduction of forms that will be completed when applying for a new simple funding opportunity, which is offered up to EUR 50 thousand in the form of one -off assistance to improve the competitiveness of farms.

Crisis payments

Farmers, affected by natural disasters or animal diseases, will be entitled to payments in crises under national strategic plans, not just the European Reserve Fund.

European Parliament (Audiovisual Service)

It is proposed to introduce two new types of crisis payments within direct payments and the development of rural areas. Member States will be able to spend up to 3% of their annual funding under the Common Agricultural Policy plan to help farmers deal with the consequences.

Refinement to these new instruments will be possible in the event of natural disasters and adverse climate events that have a direct impact on farmers. Member States will be able to use them by changing their strategic plans under the CAP.

Aid to Administration

The European Commission has also taken care of the administration, pursuing a simplification of procedures for changes in strategic agricultural plans. If the ideas are accepted, the authorities will wait for approval from Brussels only for strategic changes. All other changes must only be informed without waiting for approval.

In addition, the Commission plans to further encourage national administrations to develop operationally compatible digital systems to store farmers’ data. Through them, farmers will only submit their data once electronically.

Agricultural Commissioner Christoph Hansen said that this would reduce the forms that farmers should fill in for subsidies. That’s why seven days a year went.

The European Commission estimates that the changes could save up to EUR 1.58 billion annually from farmers, as well as an application time, which « will contribute to reducing stress and allow them to focus on their main job, » said a message.