Less Favoured Area Compensatory Allowances Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations provide for the implementation of Articles 13(a), 14(1), 14(2) first and second indents, and 15 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/1999 (O.J. No. L160, 26.06.1999, p. 80) as last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No. 1698/2005 (O.J. No. L277, 21.10.2005, p. 1). They also provide for the implementation of Measure 2.1 of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme approved by Commission Decision C(2007) 4411.

The Regulations define the conditions of eligibility for less favoured area compensatory allowance (regulations 3 to 6) and the rates at which it is to be paid (regulation 7 and Schedule 2).

Regulation 8 provides for the exclusion of forage area in respect of claimants who held milk quota at 31st March 2007.

Regulation 9 confers powers of entry and inspection on persons authorised by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (“the Department”).

Regulations 10 and 11 grant the Department powers to withhold or recover payments and take certain other action in the event of a breach of an undertaking given by a claimant under these Regulations and in certain other circumstances.

Regulation 12 provides for the recovery of interest on sums recovered.

Regulation 14 creates offences of making false or misleading statements and of obstructing persons authorised by the Department.

Regulation 15 contains consequential amendments.

The Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme, together with a copy of Commission Decision C(2007) 4411 are available for inspection at the offices of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dundonald House, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 3SB.