The Common Agricultural Policy (Direct Payments etc.) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2017

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Common Agricultural Policy (Direct Payments etc.) (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (“the principal Regulations”), which make provision in Scotland for the administration of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p.608) (“the Direct Payments Regulation”), and other associated EU regulations as referred to in regulation 2(1) of the principal Regulations.

Regulation 3 amends regulation 14 of the principal Regulations to make it clear that only part of the increase in the value of payment entitlements reverts to the national reserve. The part which reverts is that which is attributable to the reduction as mentioned in paragraph (3) to the extent that such a reduction exceeds 40 per cent of the area-determined.

Regulations 4 and 5 amend schedules 3 and 4 respectively of the principal Regulations in respect of voluntary coupled support for bovine animals, in respect of what is an eligible bovine animal for the purposes of that support.

Regulation 4 amends paragraph 3 of part 1 of schedule 3 of the principal Regulations to provide that a bovine animal must be reared for the production of beef as part of a suckler herd and to extend the applicable requirements of the Cattle Identification (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (“the 2007 Regulations”) which must be complied with, to include those in relation to ear-tagging as mentioned in regulation 5 and schedule 1 to the 2007 Regulations. The latter is a requirement of Article 53(4) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 639/2014 (OJ L 181, 20.6.2014, p.1).

Regulation 5 amends the list of ineligible breeds in schedule 4 of the principal Regulations to remove six breeds of bovine animal, making them eligible for voluntary coupled support but only to the extent that they meet the requirement that they are reared for the production of beef as part of a suckler herd.

Regulation 6 provides that regulation 3 applies only where the Scottish Ministers have not made a final determination of the area-determined in respect of a single application before the day on which these Regulations come into force.

No Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared for these Regulations as no impact upon business, charities or voluntary bodies is foreseen.