Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1009
of 10 July 2020
amending Implementing Regulations (EU) No 808/2014 and (EU) No 809/2014 as regards certain measures to address the crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005, and in particular Article 8(3), Article 12, Article 67 and Article 75(5) thereof,
OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 487.
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 352/78, (EC) No 165/94, (EC) No 2799/98, (EC) No 814/2000, (EC) No 1290/2005 and (EC) No 485/2008, and in particular Article 62(2) thereof,
OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 549.
Whereas:
(1) Article 4(2) of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 808/2014 sets the maximum number of amendments to rural development programmes that Member States may submit to the Commission. In order to increase the flexibility for Member States to use rural development programmes in response to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak (‘the COVID-19 crisis’), the maximum number of amendments referred to in that Article should not apply to proposals to amend rural development programmes made in response to the COVID-19 crisis that also include elements not linked to the crisis, provided that these proposals are submitted to the Commission by 30 June 2021.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 808/2014 of 17 July 2014 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) (OJ L 227, 31.7.2014, p. 18).
(2) Using EAFRD support for operations mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and recovery actions could mean that other objectives and targets of rural development programmes may not be achieved as planned. Such support should therefore be monitored at Union level in order to be able to explain and justify the use of EAFRD funding for those purposes.
(3) Implementing Regulation (EU) No 808/2014 lays down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013. Regulation (EU) 2020/872 of the European Parliament and of the Council has amended Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 by introducing a measure for exceptional temporary support to farmers and SMEs particularly affected by the COVID-19 crisis in a new Article 39b. Therefore, the rules for the implementation of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 should be amended to provide for a measure code and the appropriate output indicator for the new measure.
Regulation (EU) 2020/872 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2020 amending Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 as regards a specific measure to provide exceptional temporary support under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) in response to the COVID-19 outbreak (OJ L 204, 26.6.2020, p. 1).
(4) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 809/2014 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 with regard to the integrated administration and control system, rural development measures and cross compliance, should also be amended to include the new measure for exceptional temporary support to farmers and SMEs particularly affected by the COVID-19 crisis under the relevant provisions of Title IV that apply to the non-area-related and non-animal-related rural development measures.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 809/2014 of 17 July 2014 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to the integrated administration and control system, rural development measures and cross compliance (OJ L 227, 31.7.2014, p. 69).
(5) Implementing Regulations (EU) No 808/2014 and (EU) No 809/2014 should therefore be amended accordingly.
(6) Given the urgency related to the COVID-19 crisis, this Regulation should enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
(7) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Rural Development Committee,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: