These Regulations amend Article 75 of Regulation (EU) No. 1306/2013 (“the Horizontal Regulation”). Article 75(2) requires that before the Scottish Ministers can make payments to beneficiaries of rural support schemes, all eligibility conditions must have been verified. Eligibility conditions are verified by carrying out administrative checks and on-the-spot checks. The amendment to Article 75 permits the Scottish Ministers to make payments under specified schemes following the completion of administrative checks.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the physical inspections programme has been delayed. The amendment made by regulation 2 is considered necessary to ensure that any delays in physical inspections do not result in payments under the following schemes also being delayed: voluntary coupled support in the 2020 claim year, basic payments in the 2021 claim year, payments for agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and environment in the 2021 claim year, payments for young farmers in the 2021 claim year and payments to areas facing natural or other specific constraints in the 2021 claim year.

A Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared. Copies may be obtained online at www.legislation.gov.uk.