Countryside Management Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations supplement Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2078/92 (O.J. No. L215, 30.7.92, p. 85) (“the Council Regulation”) on agricultural production methods compatible with the requirement of the protection of the environment and maintenance of the countryside. They include provisions to meet the requirements of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 746/96 (O.J. No. L102, 25.4.96, p. 19) laying down detailed rules for the application of the Council Regulation. Commission Decision C(99)15 of 29th January 1999 approved in part the agri-environmental programme entitled “the Countryside Management Scheme” to which these Regulations give effect. A copy of that Decision is available from the Department of Agriculture, Room 657, Dundonald House, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 3SB. The Codes of Good Agricultural Practice for the protection of soil, air and water are available from the Department of Agriculture, Annex 'D', Dundonald House, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 3SB.

The Regulations—

(a) provide for payment of a grant in respect of an undertaking to follow the general environmental conditions set out in Schedule 1 to the Regulations and to carry out at least one of the activities set out in Schedule 3 - an undertaking may also include an undertaking to carry out any of the activities in Schedule 4 or 5 (regulation 3);

(b) specify the requirements in relation to applications (regulation 4);

(c) specify restrictions on the acceptance of applications (regulation 5);

(d) make provision for beneficiaries under the Habitat Improvement Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 and the Moorland (Livestock Extensification) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 to substitute for the unexpired period of an undertaking under either of those Regulations, an undertaking to which these Regulations apply (regulation 6);

(e) specify the maximum payment rate in respect of each activity which is the subject of an undertaking (regulation 7);

(f) specify the conditions which apply where there is a change of occupation of the land to which an undertaking relates (regulation 8);

(g) impose an obligation on applicants to permit entry and inspection (regulation 9);

(h) provide for the withholding and recovery of grant, recovery of interest and the imposition of penalties (regulations 10, 11 and 12);

(i) amend the Habitat Improvement Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 and the Moorland (Livestock Extensification) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 to provide that the Department of Agriculture shall not accept an application received by it under those Regulations after 23rd May 1999 (regulations 13 and 14).

No Regulatory Impact Assessment in relation to these Regulations has been prepared.