1.Member States deciding to implement equivalent practices referred to in Article 43(3)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 shall designate one or more public or private certification authorities certifying that the farmer observes practices on its holding which comply with Article 43(3) of that Regulation.
2.Public or private certification authorities shall fulfil the following conditions:
they shall have the expertise, equipment and infrastructure required to carry out the certification tasks;
they shall have a sufficient number of qualified and experienced staff;
they shall be impartial and free from any conflict of interest as regards the exercise of the certification tasks.
Private certification authorities shall be accredited in accordance with EN ISO/IEC 17021 (Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems) or EN ISO/IEC 17065 (Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services) in the sector of agricultural production. Accreditation shall only be performed by a national accreditation body in a Member State in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council(1).
3.The designation of a public or private certification authority shall be withdrawn where it fails to satisfy the conditions for its designation set out in paragraph 2.
1.For farmers deciding to observe the practices referred to in points 3 and 4 of Section I and point 7 of Section III of Annex IX to Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 and any further equivalent practices added to that Annex for which a specific calculation is needed in order to avoid double funding, as equivalent practices pursuant to Article 43(3)(a) of that Regulation, Member States shall deduct from the amount of support per hectare calculated pursuant to Article 28(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 an amount corresponding to one third of the average greening payment per hectare in the Member State or region concerned for each greening practice that the practice is equivalent with.
The average greening payment per hectare in the Member State or region concerned shall be calculated on the basis of the percentage referred to in Article 47(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the average of the national ceilings for the years 2015 to 2019 set out in Annex II to that Regulation and the number of eligible hectares declared in accordance with Article 33 or Article 36 of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 in 2015. Member States deciding to implement the practices referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph already in 2015, may estimate the number of eligible hectares declared in 2015 on the basis of the declarations made in 2014 pursuant to Article 34(2) of Regulation (EC) No 73/2009.
2.By way of derogation from paragraph 1, Member States deciding to apply the third subparagraph of Article 43(9) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 may decide to apply the deduction referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article on an individual basis by an amount corresponding to one third of the average greening payment per hectare of the farmer concerned.
The average greening payment for the farmer shall be calculated on the basis of the average of the individual payment calculated in accordance with the third and fourth subparagraphs of Article 43(9) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 for the years 2015 to 2019 and the number of eligible hectares declared by the farmer in accordance with Article 33 of that Regulation in 2015.
1.For the purpose of the calculation of the shares of different crops as provided for in Article 44(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, the period to be taken into account shall be the most relevant part of the cultivation period taking account of the traditional cultivation practices in the national context. [F1That period may be fixed at national, regional or the appropriate sub-regional level.]
Member States shall inform farmers of that period in due time. Within the total arable land of the holding, each hectare shall be taken into account only once in one claim year for the purpose of the calculation of the shares of different crops.
2.For the calculation of the shares of different crops, the area covered by a crop may include landscape features that form part of the eligible area in accordance with Article 9 of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 640/2014.
3.On an area where mixed cropping is applied by growing simultaneously two or more crops in distinct rows, each crop shall be counted as distinct crop when it covers at least 25 % of that area. The area covered by the distinct crops shall be calculated by dividing the area where the mixed cropping is applied by the number of crops covering at least 25 % of that area, irrespective of the actual share of a crop on that area.
On areas where mixed cropping is applied by growing a main crop which is under-sown with a second crop, the area shall be considered as covered with only the main crop.
Areas on which a seed mixture is sown shall, irrespective of the specific crops included in the mix, be considered as covered with one single crop. Without prejudice to Article 44(4)(d) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, such single crop shall be referred to as ‘mixed crop’. Where it can be established that the species included in different seed mixtures differ from each other, Member States may recognise those different seed mixtures as distinct single crops, provided that those different seed mixtures are not used for the crop referred to in Article 44(4)(d) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.
[F1Areas on which different crops are grown next to each other, where each single crop covers an area that is smaller than the minimum size set by Member States referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 72(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013, may be considered by Member States as covered with one ‘ mixed crop ’ as referred to in the third subparagraph of this paragraph.]
Textual Amendments
F1 Inserted by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/1155 of 15 February 2017 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) No 639/2014 as regards the control measures relating to the cultivation of hemp, certain provisions on the greening payment, the payment for young farmers in control of a legal person, the calculation of the per unit amount in the framework of voluntary coupled support, the fractions of payment entitlements and certain notification requirements relating to the single area payment scheme and the voluntary coupled support, and amending Annex X to Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
Environmentally sensitive permanent grassland areas outside the areas covered by Directive 92/43/EEC or Directive 2009/147/EC as referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 45(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 shall be designated on the basis of one or more of the following criteria:
covering organic soils with a high percentage of organic carbon, such as peat land or wetlands;
hosting habitats listed in Annex I to Directive 92/43/EEC or protected under national legislation;
hosting plant species listed in Annex II to Directive 92/43/EEC or protected under national legislation;
being of significant importance for wild bird species listed in Annex I to Directive 2009/147/EC;
being of significant importance for wild animal species protected under Directive 92/43/EEC or protected under national legislation;
covering permanent grassland of high nature value as defined by objective criteria to be established by the Member State;
covering soils with a high risk of erosion;
being located in a sensitive area designated within the river basin management plans pursuant to Directive 2000/60/EC.
Member States may decide every year to add new designated areas and shall inform the farmers concerned of that decision in due time.
Without prejudice to Directive 2004/35/CE of the European Parliament and of the Council(2), where a farmer has converted or ploughed permanent grassland that is subject to the obligation referred to in the third subparagraph of Article 45(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, the Member State concerned shall provide for the obligation to reconvert the area into permanent grassland and may, on a case by case basis, issue precise instructions to be respected by the farmer concerned on how to reverse the environmental damage caused in order to restore the environmentally sensitive status.
The farmer shall be informed without delay after the non-compliance has been established of the obligation to reconvert and of the date before which that obligation is to be complied with. That date shall not be later than the date for the submission of the single application for the following year, or in the case of Sweden and Finland, 30 June of the following year.
By way of derogation from Article 4(1)(h) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, the land reconverted shall be considered as permanent grassland as of the first day of reconversion and be subject to the obligation referred to in the third subparagraph of Article 45(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.
1.Areas declared by farmers participating in the small farmer scheme referred to in Title V of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, as well as the units of a holding used for organic production in accordance with Article 11 of Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007(3) shall not be included in the ratio of the areas of permanent grassland to the total agricultural area and the reference ratio referred to in Article 45(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.
2.Areas declared by farmers in 2012 as land under permanent pasture that have been converted into land for other uses may be deducted from the calculation of the areas of permanent grassland in accordance with point (a) of the second subparagraph of Article 45(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, up to the number of hectares of permanent pasture or permanent grassland that farmers have established after 2012 and declared in 2015 on national, regional, sub-regional level or holding level, provided that the existing rules on maintenance of permanent pasture as laid down in Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 and in Article 93(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 were met.
When calculating the number of hectares of permanent pasture or permanent grassland established after 2012 as referred to in the first subparagraph, only hectares of permanent pasture or permanent grassland on an agricultural area declared in 2012, 2013 or 2014 in accordance with Article 34(2) of Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 shall be taken into account.
[F23. Member States shall adapt the reference ratio if they assess that there is a significant impact on the evolution of the ratio due to, in particular, a change in the area under organic production, a change in the population of participants in the small farmer scheme or when a Member State takes a decision in accordance with point (a), (b) or (c) of the third subparagraph of Article 4(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013. In such situations, Member States shall inform the Commission without delay of the adaptation made and the justification for that adaptation.]
Textual Amendments
[F21. Member States may provide for the individual obligation of farmers not to convert, including, where they apply point (a) of the third subparagraph of Article 4(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, not to plough, areas of permanent grassland without prior individual authorisation. The farmers shall be informed of that obligation without delay and in any case before 15 November of the year in which the Member State concerned so provides. That obligation shall only apply to farmers who are subject to the obligations under Chapter 3 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 with respect to areas of permanent grassland that are not subject to Article 45(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.
The issuing of an authorisation may depend on the application of objective and non-discriminatory criteria, including environmental criteria. If the authorisation referred to in the first subparagraph is subject to the condition that another area of a corresponding number of hectares is to be established as permanent grassland or, where the Member State applies point (a) of the third subparagraph of Article 4(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, to the condition that another or the same area is established as permanent grassland, that area shall, by way of derogation from Article 4(1)(h) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, be considered as permanent grassland as of the first day after the conversion, including the ploughing. Such areas shall be used to grow grasses or other herbaceous forage at least for the five consecutive years following the date of conversion including the ploughing. However, if the Member State so decides, where farmers convert areas which were already used to grow grasses and other herbaceous forage into areas of permanent grassland, such areas shall be used to grow grasses or other herbaceous forage for the remaining number of years needed in order to reach the five consecutive years.]
2.Where it is established that the ratio referred to in the first subparagraph of Article 45(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 has decreased beyond 5 % compared to the reference ratio referred to in that Article, the Member State concerned shall provide for the obligation to reconvert areas into areas of permanent grassland and for rules to avoid new conversion of areas of permanent grassland.
Member States shall determine the range of farmers subject to the reconversion obligation from farmers who:
are subject to the obligations under Chapter 3 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 with respect to areas of permanent grassland that are not subject to Article 45(1) of that Regulation; and
based on the applications submitted in accordance with Article 72 of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 or Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 during the preceding two calendar years, or in 2015 during the preceding three calendar years, have agricultural areas at their disposal which were converted from areas of permanent grassland or land under permanent pasture into areas for other uses.
Where the periods referred to in point (b) of the second subparagraph include calendar years before 2015, the reconversion obligation shall also apply to areas that were converted into areas for other uses from land under permanent pasture that were subject to the obligation referred to in Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 or Article 93(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013.
When determining which farmers shall reconvert areas into areas of permanent grassland, Member States shall impose the obligation first on farmers who have at their disposal an area that was converted from an area of permanent grassland or land under permanent pasture into an area for other uses in breach of the authorisation requirement, if applicable, referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article or Article 4(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1122/2009. Such farmers shall reconvert the whole converted area.
3.If the application of the fourth subparagraph of paragraph 2 does not lead to an increase of the ratio referred to in the first subparagraph of Article 45(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 above the threshold of 5 %, Member States shall provide that farmers who have at their disposal an area that was converted from an area of permanent grassland or land under permanent pasture into an area for other uses during the periods referred to in point (b) of the second subparagraph of paragraph 2 of this Article, are also to reconvert a percentage of that converted area into areas of permanent grassland or to establish another area corresponding to that percentage as area of permanent grassland. That percentage shall be calculated on the basis of the area converted by the farmer during the periods referred to in point (b) of the second subparagraph of paragraph 2 of this Article and the area needed to increase the ratio referred to in Article 45(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 above the threshold of 5 %.
Member States may for the calculation of the percentage referred to in the first subparagraph, exclude from the area converted by the farmer those areas which became permanent grassland after 31 December 2015, provided that they carry out administrative cross-checks of the permanent grassland annually declared in the geo-spatial aid application by means of a spatial intersection with the area declared as permanent pasture in 2015 registered in the identification system for agricultural parcels and that those areas of permanent grassland were not established as a result of an obligation to reconvert or to establish an area of permanent grassland pursuant to paragraph 2 or this paragraph. However, where such exclusion does not allow to increase the ratio referred to in the first subparagraph of Article 45(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 above the threshold of 5 %, Member States shall not exclude those areas.
Areas of permanent grassland or land under permanent pasture that farmers created in the framework of commitments in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005(4) and Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 shall not be taken into account in the area converted by the farmer for the calculation of the percentage referred to in the first subparagraph.
The farmers shall be informed of the individual reconversion obligation and of the rules to avoid new conversion of permanent grassland, without delay and in any case before 31 December of the year in which the decrease beyond 5 % is established. The obligation to reconvert shall be complied with before the date for the submission of the single application for the following year, or in the case of Sweden and Finland, 30 June of the following year.
By way of derogation from Article 4(1)(h) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, areas reconverted into or established as areas of permanent grassland shall be considered as permanent grassland as of the first day of the reconversion or establishment. Those areas shall be used to grow grasses or other herbaceous forage at least for the five consecutive years following the date of their conversion, or, if the Member State so decides, where farmers convert areas which were already used to grow grasses and other herbaceous forage into areas of permanent grassland, the remaining number of years needed in order to reach the five consecutive years.
Textual Amendments
1.For the qualification of the types of areas listed in the first subparagraph of Article 46(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 as ecological focus areas, paragraphs 2 to 11 of this Article shall apply.
[F22. On land lying fallow and land lying fallow for melliferous plants (pollen- and nectar-rich species) there shall be no agricultural production. Member States shall fix a period during which the land must be lying fallow in a given calendar year. That period shall not be shorter than six months. As regards areas under land lying fallow for melliferous plants, Member States shall set up a list of pollen- and nectar-rich species to be used. Invasive alien plant species within the meaning of Article 3(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5) must not appear on the list. Such areas shall not include areas under crops normally sown for harvesting. Member States may establish further requirements. Such areas may include herbaceous species, provided that melliferous crops remain predominant. Without prejudice to the ‘no production’ requirement established in paragraph 10a, hives may be put on areas of land lying fallow for melliferous plants (pollen- and nectar-rich species).
By way of derogation from Article 4(1)(h) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, land lying fallow and land lying fallow for melliferous plants (pollen- and nectar-rich species) for the purpose of fulfilling the ecological focus area for more than five years shall remain arable land.]
3.Terraces shall be terraces that are protected under GAEC 7 as referred to in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 as well as other terraces. Member States may decide to consider as ecological focus area only terraces protected under GAEC 7. Member States deciding to consider also other terraces shall establish criteria for those other terraces, including the minimum height based on national or regional specificities.
[F34. Landscape features shall be at the disposal of the farmer and may be those that are protected under GAEC 7, SMR 2 or SMR 3 as referred to in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 and/or one or more of the following features:
hedges, wooded strips or trees in line;
isolated trees;
field copses including trees, bushes or stones;
ponds. Reservoirs made of concrete or plastic shall not be considered ecological focus areas;
ditches, including open watercourses for the purpose of irrigation or drainage. Channels with walls of concrete shall not be considered ecological focus areas.
traditional stone walls.
Member States may decide to limit the selection of landscape features to those under GAEC 7, SMR 2 or SMR 3 as referred to in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 and/or to one or more of points (a) to (f) of the first subparagraph.
For the hedges, wooded strips and trees in line as well as ditches referred to in points (a) and (e) of the first subparagraph, respectively, the area to be qualified as ecological focus area shall be calculated up to a maximum width of 10 metres.
For the field copses and ponds referred to in points (c) and (d) of the first subparagraph, respectively, the area to be qualified as ecological focus area shall be calculated up to a maximum size of 0,3 hectare.
For the purposes of point (d) of the first subparagraph, Member States may set a minimum size for ponds. Where there is a strip with riparian vegetation along the water the corresponding area shall be included for the purpose of calculating the ecological focus area. Member States may establish criteria to ensure that ponds are of natural value, taking into account the role that natural ponds play for the conservation of habitats and species.
For the purposes of point (f) of the first subparagraph, Member States shall establish minimum criteria based on national or regional specificities, including limits to the dimensions of height and width.
5. Buffer strips and field margins may be any buffer strips and field margins including those buffer strips along water courses required under GAEC 1, SMR 1 or SMR 10 as referred to in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 or field margins protected under GAEC 7, SMR 2 or SMR 3 as referred to in that Annex.
Member States shall not limit the selection of buffer strips and field margins to those required under the cross compliance rules referred to in the first subparagraph.
Member States shall establish the minimum width of buffer strips and field margins which shall not be below 1 metre for ecological focus area purposes. Along water courses, riparian vegetation shall be included for the purpose of calculating the ecological focus area. There shall be no agricultural production on buffer strips and field margins.
For buffer strips and field margins other than those required or protected under GAEC 1, GAEC 7, SMR 1, SMR 2, SMR 3 or SMR 10 as referred to in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013, the area to be qualified as ecological focus area shall be calculated up to a maximum width of 20 metres.]
[F15a. For the purposes of the second sentence of the second subparagraph of Article 46(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, areas referred to in paragraphs 4 and 5 of this Article shall be considered as adjacent areas or features where they are adjacent to an ecological focus area directly adjacent to the arable land of the holding.]
6.Hectares of agro-forestry shall be arable land eligible for the basic payment scheme or the single area payment scheme referred to in Chapter 1 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 and fulfilling the conditions for which support under Article 44 of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 or Article 23 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 was or is granted.
[F37. As regards strips of eligible hectares along forest edges Member States may decide either to allow agricultural production or to establish a requirement of no agricultural production, or to provide the two options for farmers. Member States shall establish the minimum width of those strips, which shall not be below 1 metre.
The area to be qualified as ecological focus area shall be calculated up to a maximum width of 10 metres where Member States decide to allow agricultural production and 20 metres where Member States decide not to allow agricultural production.
8. For areas with short rotation coppice with no use of mineral fertiliser and/or plant protection products, Member States shall establish a list of species that may be used for this purpose, by selecting from the list established pursuant to Article 4(2)(c) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 the species that are most suitable from an ecological perspective, thereby excluding species that are clearly not indigenous. Member States shall also establish the requirements as regards the use of mineral fertilisers and/or plant protection products in case Member States authorise their use, keeping in mind the objective of ecological focus areas in particular to safeguard and improve biodiversity.
[F48a. On areas with Miscanthus and Silphium perfoliatum Member States shall ban the use of plant protection products except in the first year in which the two species are established by a farmer. Member States shall ban or establish requirements as regards the use of mineral fertilisers on these areas, taking into account the objective of the ecological focus areas in particular to safeguard and improve biodiversity.]
9. Areas under catch crops or green cover shall include such areas established pursuant to the requirements under SMR 1 as referred to in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 as well as other areas under catch crops or green cover, on the condition that they were established by sowing a mixture of crop species or by under-sowing grass or leguminous crops in the main crop.
Member States shall set up the list of mixtures of crop species to be used and fix the period at national, regional, sub-regional or farm level during which areas under catch crops or green cover when established by sowing a mixture of crop species have to be in place. This period shall not be less than 8 weeks. Member States may establish additional conditions notably with regard to production methods.
Areas under catch crops or green cover shall not include areas under winter crops which are sown in autumn normally for harvesting or for grazing. They shall also not include the areas covered with equivalent practices mentioned in points I.3 and 4 of Annex IX to Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.
10. On areas with nitrogen-fixing crops, farmers shall grow those nitrogen-fixing crops which are included in a list established by the Member State. That list shall contain the nitrogen-fixing crops that the Member State considers as contributing to the objective of improving biodiversity and may include mixtures of nitrogen-fixing crops with other crops provided that nitrogen-fixing crop species are predominant. Those crops shall be present during the growing season. Member States may establish additional conditions notably with regard to production method, in particular with a view to taking into account the need to meet the objectives of Directive 91/676/EEC and Directive 2000/60/EC, given the potential of nitrogen-fixing crops to increase the risk of nitrogen leaching in the autumn.
Areas with nitrogen-fixing crops shall not include the areas covered with equivalent practices mentioned in points I.3 and 4 of Annex IX to Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.]
[F110a. For the purposes of paragraphs 2, 5 and 7, ‘ no agricultural production ’ means no agricultural activity as defined in Article 4(1)(c)(i) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, without prejudice to the requirements defined under GAEC 4 as referred to in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013. Actions aiming at establishing a green soil cover for biodiversity purposes, including sowing mixtures of wild flower seeds, shall be allowed.
However, by way of derogation from the ‘ no production ’ requirement, for the purposes of paragraphs 5 and 7, Member States may allow cutting or grazing on buffer strips and field margins as well as on strips of eligible hectares along forest edges without production, provided that the strip remains distinguishable from adjacent agricultural land.
10b. The use of plant protection products shall be prohibited on all areas referred to in paragraphs 2, 9 and 10 as well as on areas with agricultural production referred to in paragraph 7.
10c. On areas referred to in paragraph 9 established by under-sowing grass or leguminous crops in the main crop, this prohibition shall apply from the moment of the harvesting of the main crop for at least 8 weeks or until the sowing of the next main crop.]
11.A farmer can declare the same area or landscape feature only once in one claim year for the purpose of complying with the ecological focus area requirement.
Textual Amendments
F1 Inserted by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/1155 of 15 February 2017 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) No 639/2014 as regards the control measures relating to the cultivation of hemp, certain provisions on the greening payment, the payment for young farmers in control of a legal person, the calculation of the per unit amount in the framework of voluntary coupled support, the fractions of payment entitlements and certain notification requirements relating to the single area payment scheme and the voluntary coupled support, and amending Annex X to Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
F2 Substituted by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/1784 of 9 July 2018 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) No 639/2014 as regards certain provisions on the greening practices established by Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
F3 Substituted by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/1155 of 15 February 2017 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) No 639/2014 as regards the control measures relating to the cultivation of hemp, certain provisions on the greening payment, the payment for young farmers in control of a legal person, the calculation of the per unit amount in the framework of voluntary coupled support, the fractions of payment entitlements and certain notification requirements relating to the single area payment scheme and the voluntary coupled support, and amending Annex X to Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
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.
1.Member States that decide to allow a collective implementation as provided for in Article 46(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, shall define the criteria to be met by holdings considered to be in close proximity using any of the following:
farmers of whom 80 % of the holding are in the same municipality;
farmers of whom 80 % of the holding are in an area with a radius of a number of kilometres to be set by Member States with a maximum of 15 kilometres.
2.Member States that opt for designating the areas on which collective implementation is possible and that opt for imposing obligations upon participating farmers or groups of farmers, shall take account 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 enhancement of green infrastructure.
3.The obligations for the participating farmers or groups of farmers referred to in paragraph 2 shall include the condition that the contiguous ecological focus areas will consist of one or more of the areas referred to in points (a), (c), (d) and (h) of the second subparagraph of Article 46(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.
4.Farmers participating in the collective implementation shall conclude a written agreement that includes details on the internal arrangements of financial compensation and as regards the administrative penalties in case of non-compliance on the common ecological focus area.
1.Member States deciding to implement Article 46(7) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 shall establish the percentage of forests compared to the total land surface area referred to in the first subparagraph of that paragraph on the basis of the data available from Eurostat. Forest data shall refer to the definition as applied by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations and shall exclude the area under other wooded land. The total land surface area shall exclude the area under inland water including rivers and lakes.
2.The ratio of forest to agricultural land referred to in Article 46(7) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 shall be calculated using data available from Eurostat. If there are no data available from Eurostat on the land under forest and agricultural land at the required scale to assess the forest ratio on an area level equivalent to the LAU2 level or on the level of a clearly delineated unit which covers a single clear contiguous geographical area having similar agricultural conditions, other data sources may be used.
Member States shall demonstrate that they have used up to date and consistent data on land under forest and agricultural land reflecting to the extent possible the actual situation.
3.The data and calculations referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be valid for three years. After the expiry of this period, Member States deciding to further apply the exemption provided for in Article 46(7) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 and renew that three-year period shall recalculate the ratios in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article using the newest data available.
In case of changes in the administrative boundaries affecting the ratio mentioned in paragraph 2, the data and calculations shall be reassessed and any changes in the application of the exemption notified to the Commission.
Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 (OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, p. 30).
Directive 2004/35/CE of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 on environmental liability with regard to the prevention and remedying of environmental damage (OJ L 143, 30.4.2004, p. 56).
Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 (OJ L 189, 20.7.2007, p. 1).
Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 of 20 September 2005 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)(OJ L 277, 21.10.2005, p. 1).
[F2Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species ( OJ L 317, 4.11.2014, p. 35 ).]