(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 809/2014 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 in order to make changes to inspection requirements and reduce control rates for direct payment schemes in Scotland for claim year 2020, to address the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Regulations allow for physical checks to be replaced by other forms of evidence, including new technologies and provide that any requirement to increase the inspection rate for claim year 2020 due to a high level of non-compliance in the previous year is deferred to claim year 2021.
The Regulations also reduce the control rate for inspections for the basic payment scheme (from 5% to 3%), for young farmer payments (from 5% to 3%) and for area-related payments under voluntary coupled support (from 5% to 3%). The control rate for inspections for greening payments is reduced from 5% to 3%, and for cross compliance checks is reduced from 1% to 0.5%.