The Integrated Administration and Control System (Amendment) Regulations 1997

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations, which apply throughout the United Kingdom and come into force on 29th April 1997, amend for a second time the Integrated Administration and Control System Regulations 1993 (S.I. 1993/1317) (“the principal Regulations”) which provide for the implementation in part of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3508/92 (OJ No. L355, 5.12.92, p.1), as amended, and Commission Regulation (EEC) No. 3887/92 (OJ No. L391, 31.12.92, p.36), as amended.

These Regulations—

(a) consolidate regulation 2 of the principal Regulations, while introducing the new definitions of “area aid application”, “field identification check” and “IACS year” (regulation 3);

(b) introduce a new regulation 2A in the principal Regulations, requiring that area aid applications for any IACS year be submitted by the 15th May immediately preceding the IACS year in question; this fulfils the obligation upon Member States to set such a date, contained in Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3508/92, as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No. 2446/96 (OJ No. L335, 24.12.96, p.1) (regulation 4);

(c) extend the powers of authorised persons contained in regulation 6 of the principal Regulations to include the carrying out of a field identification check (being the verification, etc. made further to application to a competent authority by a farmer for the allocation of new field identification numbers or, in Scotland, for the updating of any such number or of a field boundary) (regulation 5);

(d) amend regulation 8(2) and (4) of the principal Regulations so as to take account of certain changes made by the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 (S.I. 1994/2795) (regulation 6(a));

(e) create offences of knowingly, or recklessly, furnishing false or misleading information for the purpose of having a new identification number allocated to one’s field or, in Scotland, of having such a number, or a field boundary, updated, and prescribe a penalty; and make a consequential amendment (regulation 6(b) and (c)).

A compliance cost assessment has been prepared and has been deposited in the library of each House of Parliament.