For the purposes of the first sub-paragraph of Article 46(2) of the Direct Payments Regulation, the areas mentioned in points (a) (land lying fallow), (e) (agro-forestry), (g) (short rotation coppice), (h) (afforested areas) and (j) (areas with nitrogen-fixing crops) and, subject to paragraph (2), point (c) (landscape features) are considered to be ecological focus areas.

Landscape features which are considered to be ecological focus areas shall be limited to those features which have been specified by the Department as landscape features under GAEC 7 as referred to in the second sub-paragraph of Article 45(4) of the Direct Payments Delegated Regulation.

For the purposes of Article 45(10) of the Direct Payments Delegated Regulation, nitrogen-fixing crops are those listed in the Schedule.

In paragraph (2), the reference to “GAEC 7” is to the relevant standard for good agricultural and environmental condition as referred to in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No. 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the financing, management and monitoring of the Common Agricultural Policy.