Article 46U.K.Rules for the regional implementation of ecological focus areas
1.Member States opting for the regional implementation provided for in Article 46(5) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 shall define regions for the purposes of that Article. The regions to be defined shall consist of single and homogenous geographical areas with similar agricultural and environmental conditions. For this purpose, homogeneity shall refer to soil type, elevation, as well as to the presence of natural and semi-natural areas.
2.Within the defined regions, Member States shall designate the areas where up to half of the percentage points of the ecological focus area requirement has to be implemented.
3.In respect to the defined areas Member States shall provide for specific obligations for the participating farmers or groups of farmers. Those obligations shall ensure contiguous structures of adjacent ecological focus areas. The obligations for the participating farmers or groups of farmers shall include a requirement that each participating farmer is to have at least 50 % of the area subject to the obligation laid down in Article 46(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 located on the land of their holdings within the region and in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 46(2) of that Regulation.
4.The obligations for the participating farmers or groups of farmers shall ensure that the contiguous ecological focus areas referred to in paragraph 3 consist of one or more of the areas referred to in points (a), (c), (d) and (h) of the first subparagraph of Article 46(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.
5.When designating areas and providing for obligations as referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3 respectively, Member States shall take account, if applicable, of existing national or regional biodiversity and/or climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, river basin management plans or needs identified with a view to ensure the ecological coherence of the Natura 2000 network referred to in Article 10 of Directive 92/43/EEC or to contribute to the implementation of the Green Infrastructure Strategy.
6.Prior to providing for obligations for farmers, Member States shall consult the farmers or groups of farmers concerned and other relevant stakeholders. Following such consultation, Member States shall establish a finalised detailed plan for the regional implementation and shall inform the stakeholders who participated in the consultation and the farmers or groups of farmers concerned of that plan, including the designation of areas and the obligations for the participating farmers or groups of farmers and, in particular, the precise percentage that each individual farmer has to implement on his own holding. Member States shall transmit that information to the farmer at the latest by 30 June of the year preceding the year in which the regional implementation will apply or for the first year of application of this Regulation in due time to allow the farmer to make his application accordingly.
Without prejudice to payments to farmers referred to in Article 43(9) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, Member States shall ensure that arrangements are laid down with regard to financial compensations between farmers and as regards the administrative penalties in case of non-compliance on the contiguous ecological focus areas.