These Regulations, which apply in relation to Wales, amend the Common Agricultural Policy Single Payment and Support Schemes (Wales) Regulations 2005 (S.I.2005/360 (W.29)) (“the principal Regulations”). The principal Regulations make provision for the administration of Council Regulation (EC) No.1782/2003 (O.J. No. L270, 21.10.2003, p.1) (“the Council Regulation”), Commission Regulation (EC) No. 795/2004 (O.J. No. L 141, 30.4.2004, p.1) (“Commission Regulation 795/2004”) and Commission Regulation (EC) No. 796/2004 (O.J. L141, 30.4.2004, p.18) (“Commission Regulation 796/2004”) in relation to establishing a new system of direct support schemes (including the Single Payment Scheme) under the Common Agricultural Policy. This new system came into effect on 1 January 2005.

These regulations update references in the principal Regulations to the Commission Regulation 795/2004 and Commission Regulation 796/2004 to reflect the amendments that have been made to those regulations since the coming into force of the principal Regulations (regulation 3).

They also substitute a new regulation 6 in the principal Regulations so as to authorise farmers to make use of the possibility, introduced by Commission Regulation (EC) No. 606/2005, to fix two different dates for the beginning of the 10 month period in respect of which parcels of eligible land have to be at a farmer’s disposal for the purposes of the single payment scheme (regulation 4).

These regulations also delete paragraph (2) of regulation 9 of the principal Regulations thereby allowing the period within which payment entitlement transfers are to be communicated to the National Assembly, to be determined in accordance with the discretionary powers granted to the National Assembly, as a competent authority of the member state, under Article 25(3) of Commission Regulation 795/2004.

A regulatory appraisal has been prepared in respect of these Regulations and is available for inspection at the offices of the National Assembly for Wales, Department for Environment, Planning and Countryside, Crown Buildings, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ.