11 July 2011

The Tenant Farmers Association’s Chief Executive, George Dunn has set out the criteria that should be used to ensure that support under the Common Agricultural Policy is received only by active farmers.

Speaking before this year's Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate, Mr Dunn said “Concern is growing about how CAP funds are being spent. The European Court of Auditors has expressed concern about the confusion that exists in defining who should receive Single Payment Scheme (SPS) payments. In its recent report into the administration of SPS it has identified a lack of precision in the definition of the beneficiaries of the SPS, of eligible activities and eligible land. It has recommended that the present legislation and its implementing rules should be amended to ensure that SPS aid is directed to active farmers and excludes beneficiaries who have no or only insignificant agricultural activities”.
 
“The current EU rules define an eligible CAP recipient as someone who is either involved in traditional agricultural production or keeping land in good agricultural and environmental condition. This definition has allowed a vast array of weird and wonderful landowners to access funding through the CAP. The TFA therefore believes that the first major change must be make it clear that eligible recipients must meet both the test of being involved in traditional agricultural production and keeping land in good agricultural and about the condition,” said Mr Dunn.
 
“To ensure that only active farmers are eligible for either SPS or agri-environment schemes drawn up under the second pillar of the CAP further changes are necessary. Eligible recipients must only be those who are occupying the land they are using to make their claim whether for SPS or agri-environment, who are taking the entrepreneurial risk for the agricultural activities on that land and remain in day-to-day management control,” said Mr Dunn.
 
“To avoid unnecessary bureaucracy, these new criteria should be implemented on a self-assessed basis so that individuals do not have to supply vast amounts of evidence at the time of application. Rather, applicants should be put on notice that they will be subject to inspection on their eligibility should one arise. It is also important that no attempt is made to correct matters retrospectively. Decisions made in the past should remain in the past. These new rules should be applied from an agreed point forward into the future,” said Mr Dunn.