The Direct Payments to Farmers and Rural Affairs (Miscellaneous Amendments etc.) (Wales) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020

Amendment of Regulation (EU) No. 1306/2013

2.—(1) Regulation (EU) No. 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy(1) is amended, insofar as it relates to direct payments, as follows.

(2) For Article 2(1)(m) substitute—

“(m) “appropriate authority” means the relevant authority for the constituent nation in which the regulations apply.”

(3) In Article 12—

(a) for “must” substitute “may”;

(b) for “shall”, in the second sentence, substitute “may”;

(c) for the third sentence substitute—

“That system may cover the maintenance of the agricultural area as referred to in point (c) of Article 4(1) of Regulation (EU) No. 1307/2013.”

(4) Omit Article 26.

(5) In Article 54—

(a) in paragraph 1, omit “within 18 months”;

(b) in paragraph 3(a)—

(i) in point (i), for “EUR 100” substitute “£100”;

(ii) in point (ii)—

(aa) for “EUR 100” substitute “£100”;

(bb) for “EUR 250” substitute “£250”.

(6) Omit Article 55.

(7) In Article 67—

(a) in paragraph 4(a), after “continuous area of land” insert “within Wales”;

(b) in paragraph 4(b), omit “the payment for agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment referred to in Chapter 3 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;”.

(8) In Article 69—

(a) omit the final sentence of paragraph 1;

(b) omit paragraph 2.

(9) In Article 70—

(a) in paragraph 1—

(i) omit “and, as from 2016, at a scale of 1: 5 000,”;

(ii) omit the second subparagraph;

(b) omit paragraph 2.

(10) Omit Article 71(2).

(11) In Article 75—

(a) in paragraph 1, after “calendar year” insert “or in cases where it has not been possible to complete the verification of eligibility conditions by 30 June, upon completion.”;

(b) in paragraph 1(a)—

(i) omit “but not before 16 October”;

(ii) after “direct payments” insert “before the verification of eligibility conditions, to be carried out by the relevant authority pursuant to Article 74, has been finalised”;

(c) in paragraph 2, after “paragraph 1” insert “(excluding advances for direct payments under paragraph 1(a))”.

(12) Omit Article 77(6).

(13) In Article 91—

(a) omit the second subparagraph of paragraph 2;

(b) in paragraph 3(a), for “the United Kingdom” substitute “Wales”.

(14) In the title of Article 94, omit “of Member States”.

(15) In Article 97(3), for “EUR 100” substitute “£100”.

(16) Omit Articles 105 and 106.

(17) Omit Article 108.

(18) Omit the final subparagraph of Article 111(1).

(19) In Article 112, in the first subparagraph, for the words from “the Funds” to the end, substitute “received in one year by a beneficiary is equal to or less than £1250.”

(20) In Annex II, in the row “Landscape, minimum level of maintenance”, in the fourth column, after “measures for avoiding invasive plant species” insert—

“. Restrictions on converting, ploughing or reseeding environmentally sensitive permanent grassland.”

(1)

EUR 2013/1306, amended in relation to direct payment schemes by S.I. 2020/90 and 576. EUR 2013/1306 is also amended prospectively with effect from implementation period completion day by S.I. 2019/748 (as amended by S.I. 2019/831), 763 (as amended by S.I. 2019/812), 831 and 1402. However, by virtue of the amendments in the Agriculture (Payments) (Amendment, etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, these prospective amendments do not have effect in relation to direct payment schemes.