Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2006
of 19 December 2006
amending and correcting Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers and amending Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 36 and the third subparagraph of Article 37(2) thereof,
Having regard to the Treaty of Accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania, and in particular Article 4(3) thereof,
Having regard to the Act of Accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania (hereinafter referred to as ‘the 2005 Act of Accession’), and in particular Article 56 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament,
Whereas:
Articles 42(8) and 71d(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 prohibit the transfer of entitlements established using the national reserve except in cases of inheritance. In cases of mergers and scissions it is also appropriate to allow farmers to bring payment entitlements allocated from the national reserve into the resulting new holding or holdings.
Experience shows that for a decoupled income support the rules governing the eligibility of agricultural areas may be simple. In particular, it is appropriate to simplify the rules applicable to the single payment scheme for agricultural areas planted with olive trees.
In Malta, a majority of farmers in the beef and veal sector do not have any land at their disposal. Under these specific circumstances, the application of the special conditions laid down in Article 71m of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 could create serious difficulties for the sustainable development of the beef and veal sector and an excessive administrative workload. It is appropriate to provide for simplified conditions for the single payment scheme payments to the farmers concerned in Malta.
Currently, those Member States among the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia (hereinafter referred to as ‘the new Member States’) that apply the single area payment scheme are excluded from the Community aid for energy crops. The review of the energy crops scheme pursuant to Article 92 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 has shown that it is appropriate to extend the aid for energy crops to all Member States as from 2007 and under the same conditions. Therefore the maximum guaranteed area should be increased proportionally, the schedule of increments provided for the introduction of support schemes in the new Member States should not apply to the energy crops scheme and the rules governing the single area payment scheme should be amended.
In order to strengthen the role of permanent energy crops and to provide an incentive to increase the production of these crops, Member States should be entitled to grant national aid up to 50 % of the costs associated with establishing permanent crops for the areas which have been subject to an application for the aid for energy crops.
Under normal circumstances, farmers may agree between themselves the conditions under which the holding (or part of the holding) having beneficiated from the separate sugar payment is transferred. However, in the case of inheritance, it is appropriate to provide that the inheritor be granted the separate sugar payment.
The 2005 Act of Accession and this Regulation both amend Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and those amendments should come into force on the same day. In the interest of legal certainty, the order in which those amendments are to be applied should be specified.
Regulations (EC) No 1782/2003 and (EC) No 1698/2005 should be amended accordingly.
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: