A fully updated and easy to read version of The Guide to Cross Compliance in England will be landing on English farmers’ doorsteps before Christmas.           

This guide provides a user-friendly summary of the European Commission’s ‘cross compliance’ rules. It outlines why farmers need to meet these rules to receive the European funding which is administered by the Rural Payments Agency. The new version applies from 1 January 2011 and it replaces all earlier versions of the guide.

Farmers will be pleased to learn that there are no new cross compliance rules to qualify for support payments in 2011.

Russell Graham, of RPA’s cross compliance unit said:

“We’ve listened to farmers and worked hard to make the guidance in the handbook easy to understand. We’ve kept the features farmers wanted and have worked closely with them to update the wording to make it easier to understand.”

A copy of the 2011 guide will be available at www.rpa.gov.uk/crosscompliance/
farmerguidance. This website version and the farming media will be kept up-to-date with any changes to legislation. The website version includes appendices with useful contact details and lists of legislation which apply to cross compliance.

An updated version of the Management of Habitats and Landscape Features booklet will also shortly be available at www.rpa.gov.uk/crosscompliance/farmerguidance. The guidance helps farmers understand the reasons for the Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) standards. It also advises on good practice and offers tips to help meet the standards. This is an online only publication. 

A Cross Compliance Technical Helpline is available to give technical advice and support to farmers, other land managers, their advisers and agricultural contractors. Farmers can find details at www.crosscompliance.org.uk or by calling 0845 345 1302.