[F11.Animal welfare payments under this measure shall be granted to farmers who undertake, on a voluntary basis, to carry out operations consisting of one or more animal welfare commitments and who are active farmers within the meaning of Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 F2....]
2.Animal welfare payments cover only those commitments going beyond the relevant mandatory standards established pursuant to Chapter I of Title VI of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 and other relevant mandatory requirements. These relevant requirements shall be identified in the programme.
Those commitments shall be undertaken for a renewable period of one to seven years.
F3...
3.The payments shall be granted annually and shall compensate farmers for all or part of the additional costs and income foregone resulting from the commitment made. Where necessary, they may also cover transaction costs to the value of up to 20 % of the premium paid for the animal welfare commitments.
Support shall be limited to the maximum amount laid down in Annex II.
4.In order to ensure that animal welfare commitments are in accordance with the overall F4... policy in this field, the [F5appropriate authority may make regulations] concerning the definition of the areas in which animal welfare commitments are to provide upgraded standards of production methods.
Extent Information
E1This version of this provision applies to Scotland and Northern Ireland only; separate versions have been created for England and Wales
Textual Amendments
F1Substituted by Regulation (EU) 2017/2393 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2017 amending Regulations (EU) No 1305/2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), (EU) No 1306/2013 on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy, (EU) No 1307/2013 establishing rules for direct payments to farmers under support schemes within the framework of the common agricultural policy, (EU) No 1308/2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and (EU) No 652/2014 laying down provisions for the management of expenditure relating to the food chain, animal health and animal welfare, and relating to plant health and plant reproductive material.
F2Words in Art. 33(1) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Rural Development (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/764), regs. 1, 5(18); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F3Words in Art. 33(2) omitted (S.) (15.3.2021) by virtue of The Rural Development (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (S.S.I. 2021/33), regs. 1, 2(5) and omitted (E.N.I.) (22.7.2022) by virtue of The Common Agricultural Policy (Cross-Compliance Exemptions and Transitional Regulation) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/861), regs. 1(2), 3(6)
F4Word in Art. 33(4) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Agriculture (Legislative Functions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/748), regs. 1, 61(a); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F5Words in Art. 33(4) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Agriculture (Legislative Functions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/748), regs. 1, 61(b); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)