The Sheep Annual Premium and Suckler Cow Premium Quotas Regulations 1993

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations, which apply throughout the United Kingdom, come into force on 1st July 1993.They make provision for the implementation in part of Articles 5a and 5b of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3013/89 and Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3567/92 (both defined in regulation 2(1)), which establish a system of quotas for sheep annual premium, and Articles 4d to 4h of Council Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 and Articles 22 to 45 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3886/92 (both defined in regulation 2(1)), which establish a system of quotas for suckler cow premium.

The Regulations—

(a) specify reference years for determining quotas (regulation 4);

(b) lay down supplementary rules for notifying transfers and leases of quota (regulation 5);

(c) specify the proportion of quota that is surrendered to the national reserve on a transfer of quota without a holding (regulation 6(1));

(d) specify a minimum level of suckler cow premium quota that small producers may transfer without a holding or that they may lease to other producers (regulation 6(2));

(e) lay down additional notification rules for transfers of quota with holdings (regulation 7);

(f) prohibit quota from being transferred between sensitive zones in most circumstances (regulations 8 and 9);

(g) relax the time restrictions on leasing for producers participating in recognised environmental programmes (regulation 10);

(h) provide for the initial stocking of the national reserves of quota (regulation 11);

(i) provide for the distribution of quota in the national reserves into divisions corresponding to the sensitive zones (regulations 12 and 13);

(j) establish a quota register and provide for the supply of copies of register entries in specified circumstances (regulations 14 and 15); and

(k) create offences and penalties (regulation 16).