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1.Farmers shall have access to the single payment scheme if:
(a)they have been granted a payment in the reference period referred to in Article 38 under at least one of the support schemes referred to in Annex VI, or
(b)they have received the holding or part of the holding, by way of actual or anticipated inheritance, by a farmer who met the conditions referred to in point (a), or
(c)they have received a payment entitlement from the national reserve or by transfer.
2.In case the farmer who has been granted a direct payment in the reference period changes his legal status or denomination in that period or not later than 31 December of the year preceding the year of application of the single payment scheme, he shall have access to the single payment scheme under the same conditions as the farmer originally managing the holding.
3.In case of mergers during the reference period or not later than 31 December of the year preceding the year of application of the single payment scheme, the farmer managing the new holding shall have access to the single payment scheme under the same conditions as the farmers managing the original holdings.
In case of scissions during the reference period or not later than 31 December of the year preceding the year of application of the single payment scheme, the farmers managing the holdings shall have access, pro rata, to the single payment scheme under the same conditions as the farmer managing the original holding.
1.The first year of application of the single payment scheme, the competent authority of the Member State shall send an application form to the farmers referred to in Article 33(1)(a) indicating:
(a)the amount referred to in Chapter 2 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘reference amount’);
(b)the number of hectares referred to in Article 43;
(c)the number and value of payment entitlements as defined in Chapter 3.
2.Farmers shall apply to the single payment scheme by a date, to be fixed by Member States, but not later than 15 May.
However, the Commission, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 144(2), may allow the date of 15 May to be postponed in certain zones where exceptional climatic conditions render the normal dates inapplicable.
3.Except in case of force majeure and exceptional circumstances within the meaning of Article 40(4), no entitlements shall be allocated to farmers referred to in Article 33(1)(a) and (b) and to those who receive payment entitlements from the national reserve, if they do not apply to the single payment scheme by 15 May of the first year of application of the single payment scheme.
The amounts corresponding to those entitlements not allocated shall revert to the national reserve referred to in Article 42 and shall be available for reallocation by a date to be fixed by the Member State but not later than 15 August of the first year of application of the single payment scheme.
1. The area corresponding to the number of eligible hectares as defined in Article 44(2) in respect of which a single payment application is submitted may be the subject of an application for any other direct payment as well as for any other aid not covered by this Regulation, save as otherwise provided.
2. Farmers who have participated in the tobacco quota buy-back scheme according to Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 shall be entitled to either the single payment or the quota buy-back price. However, where the quota buy-back price is higher than the amount calculated for tobacco to be included in the reference amount, the farmer shall still be entitled, in addition to the single payment, to a part of the buy-back price corresponding to the difference between the price amount and the amount calculated in accordance with point I of Annex VII to this Regulation.]
Textual Amendments
F1 Substituted by Council Regulation (EC) No 864/2004 of 29 April 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers, and adapting it by reason of the accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia to the European Union.
1.Aid under the single payment scheme shall be paid in respect of payment entitlements as defined in Chapter 3, accompanied by an equal number of eligible hectares as defined in Article 44(2).
2.Member States may decide to combine payments under the single payment scheme with payments under any other support scheme.