Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 639/2014Show full title

CHAPTER 5 COUPLED SUPPORT

SECTION 1 Voluntary coupled support

Article 51 Definitions

For the purposes of this Section, ‘coupled support measures’ means measures implementing the voluntary coupled support referred to in Article 52(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.

Article 52 General principles

1. The regions referred to in Article 52(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013shall be defined by the Member States in accordance with objective and non-discriminatory criteria such as the agronomic and socioeconomic characteristics and the regional agricultural potential, or the institutional or administrative structure. Such regions may differ from regions established under other support schemes provided for in Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.

2. When defining the specific types of farming or specific agricultural sectors referred to in Article 52(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, Member States shall take into account in particular the relevant production structures and conditions of the region or sector concerned.

3. For the purposes of Article 52(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, certain types of farming or specific agricultural sectors shall be considered as being in ‘difficulties’ if there is a risk of abandonment or of decline of production due to, inter alia, the weak profitability of the activity carried out which negatively affects the economic, social or environmental balance in the region or sector concerned.

Article 53 Conditions for granting the support

1. Member States shall lay down eligibility criteria for coupled support measures in compliance with the framework set out in Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 and the conditions laid down in this Regulation.

2. Areas and yields and number of animals referred to in Article 52(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 shall be fixed by the Member States at regional or sector level. They shall reflect the maximum yields, area cultivated or number of animals reached in the targeted region or sector in at least one year in the period of five years preceding the year of the decision referred to in Article 53(1) of that Regulation.

The annual payment shall be expressed as the per unit amount of support. It shall result from the ratio between the amount fixed for the financing of the measure as notified according to point (3)(i) of Annex I to this Regulation and either the area or the number of animals eligible for the support in the year in question, or the area or the number of animals fixed as referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph.

3. Where the coupled support measure concerns the oilseeds referred to in the Annex to the Memorandum of Understanding between the European Economic Community and the United States of America on oilseeds within the framework of the GATT, the total of the maximum areas to be supported as notified by the Member States shall not exceed a maximum area for the whole Union for the purpose of ensuring compliance with its international commitments.

Where the maximum area referred to in the first subparagraph is exceeded, the Member States concerned shall adjust the area notified by applying a reduction coefficient resulting from the ratio between the maximum area and the total of the areas notified for the support of those oilseeds referred to in the first subparagraph.

The Commission shall fix the reduction coefficient referred to in the second subparagraph by means of implementing acts adopted without applying the procedure referred to in Article 71(2) or (3) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.

4. Where the coupled support measure concerns bovine animals and/or sheep and goats, Member States shall define as an eligibility condition for the support, the requirements to identify and register animals provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council(1) or Council Regulation (EC) No 21/2004(2) respectively.

5. Member States may not grant area-related coupled support for areas that are not eligible areas within the meaning of Article 32(2), (3) and (4) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013. Where Member States grant coupled support to hemp, the condition referred to in Article 32(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 and in Article 9 of this Regulation shall apply.

Article 54 Consistency and cumulation of support

1. For the purposes of Article 52(8) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, measures provided for in Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 and Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council(3) shall be considered as ‘other Union measures and policies’.

2. Member States shall ensure consistency between:

(a)

coupled support measures and measures implemented under other Union measures and policies;

(b)

different coupled support measures;

(c)

coupled support measures and measures funded by state aids.

Member States shall ensure that coupled support measures do not interfere with the proper functioning of other measures mentioned in the first subparagraph.

3. Where support under a certain coupled support measure may also be granted under another coupled support measure, or under a measure implemented under other Union measures and policies, Member States shall ensure that the farmer concerned may receive support aiming at the objective referred to in Article 52(5) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 under only one such measure.

Article 55 Criteria for approval by the Commission

1. For the purposes of Article 55(1)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, a lack of alternatives shall exist if:

(a)

no other production than the production subject to coupled support measure can be carried out in the targeted region or sector or the continuation of such production requires significant changes in the production structures; or

(b)

conversion towards another production is severely limited due to the unavailability of land or infrastructures adapted to that production, the consecutive significant reduction in the number of holdings, the level of investments needed resulting from the conversion or due to similar reasons.

2. For the purposes of Article 55(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, it shall be necessary to provide stable supply to the local processing industry where a suspension or reduction of the production in the targeted region or sector is expected to negatively impact the activity and the related economic viability or employment in downstream enterprises which significantly depend on such production, such as processors of raw material, slaughterhouses or food industries. Such downstream enterprises need to be located in the respective region or need to be significantly reliant on the sector for the continuation of their activity.

3. For the purposes of Article 55(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, continuing disturbances on the related market shall exist where farmers in the targeted region or sector are affected by economic losses resulting in particular from occurrence of pollution, contamination or degradation in the quality of the environment related to a specific event of limited geographical scope.

4. When assessing the level of coupled support resulting from the measures to be approved as notified by the Member State, the Commission shall take into account the level of coupled direct payments granted during at least one year within the reference period 2010-2014 as referred to in Article 53(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.

SECTION 2 Crop specific payment for cotton

Article 56 Authorisation of agricultural land for cotton production

Member States shall establish objective criteria on the basis of which agricultural land is authorised pursuant to Article 57(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.

Those criteria shall be based on one or more of the following:

(a)

the agricultural economy of those regions where cotton is a major crop;

(b)

the soil and climate in the areas in question;

(c)

the management of irrigation water;

(d)

rotation systems and cultivation methods likely to respect the environment.

Article 57 Authorisation of varieties for sowing

For the purposes of Article 57(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, Member States shall authorise the varieties registered in the ‘Common Catalogue of Varieties of Agricultural Plant Species’ provided for in Directive 2002/53/EC that are adapted to market needs.

Article 58 Eligibility requirements

Sowing the areas referred to in Article 57(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 shall be done by achieving a minimum plant density, to be fixed by the Member State concerned on the basis of the soil and weather conditions and specific regional characteristics, where appropriate.

Article 59 Agronomic practices

Member States may establish specific rules on the agronomic practices needed to maintain and harvest the crops under normal growing conditions.

Article 60 Approval of inter-branch organisations

1. Each year Member States shall approve for a period of one year, starting not later than 1 March, any inter-branch organisation referred to in Article 59(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 that applies to become such an approved organisation and which:

(a)

covers a total area of at least 4 000 ha as established by the Member State that meet the authorisation criteria laid down in Article 56 of this Regulation;

(b)

includes at least one ginning undertaking; and

(c)

has adopted internal operating rules, in particular on membership conditions and fees, in accordance with national and Union rules.

2. Where it is found that an approved inter-branch organisation does not respect the criteria for approval provided for in paragraph 1, the Member State shall withdraw the approval unless the non-respect of the criteria concerned is remedied. Where it is planned to withdraw the approval, the Member State shall notify that intention to the inter-branch organisation, together with the reasons for the withdrawal. The Member State shall allow the inter-branch organisation to submit its observations within a specified period.

Farmers who are members of an approved inter-branch organisation whose approval is withdrawn in accordance with the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall lose their right to the increase of the aid provided for in Article 60(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.

Article 61 Producers’ obligations

1. A producer shall not be a member of more than one approved inter-branch organisation referred to in Article 59(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.

2. A producer who is a member of an approved inter-branch organisation shall deliver his cotton only to a ginner belonging to that same organisation.

3. The participation of producers in an approved inter-branch organisation shall be the result of voluntary membership.

(1)

Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 July 2000 establishing a system for the identification and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef and beef products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 820/97 (OJ L 204, 11.8.2000, p. 1).

(2)

Council Regulation (EC) No 21/2004 of 17 December 2003 establishing a system for the identification and registration of ovine and caprine animals and amending Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and Directives 92/102/EEC and 64/432/EEC (OJ L 5, 9.1.2004, p. 8).

(3)

Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/01 and (EC) No 1234/2007 (OJ L 347, p. 671).