The Organic Farming (Amendment) Regulations 1999

Statutory Instruments

1999 No. 2735

AGRICULTURE

The Organic Farming (Amendment) Regulations 1999

Made

4th October 1999

Laid before Parliament

4th October 1999

Coming into force

5th October 1999

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, being a Minister designated(1) for the purposes of section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972(2) in relation to the common agricultural policy of the European Community, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by that section, and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations—

Title and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Organic Farming (Amendment) Regulations 1999 and shall come into force on 5th October 1999.

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations “the principal Regulations” means the Organic Farming Regulations 1999(3).

Amendment of the principal Regulations

3.  The principal Regulations shall be amended in accordance with the following provisions of these Regulations.

4.  In regulation 2(1) of the principal Regulations, after the definition “approved” there shall be inserted the following definitions—

““the area of the Bodmin Moor Project” means the area of land comprised in the parishes in the area of Bodmin Moor in the county of Cornwall which are listed in Part I of Schedule 3;

“the area of the Bowland Initiative” means the area of land comprised in the parishes in the area of the Forest of Bowland in the County of Lancashire which are listed in Part II of Schedule 3; and

“the area of the Uplands experiment” means the aggregate of the area of the Bodmin Moor Project and the area of the Bowland Initiative”.

5.  After regulation 6 of the principal Regulations there shall be inserted the following regulation—

Closing date for accepting applications for aid

6A.— (1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Minister shall not accept an application for aid under these Regulations unless such application has been received by him before 5th October 1999.

(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to applications for aid which are made in respect of the land the whole of which is situated in the area of the Uplands experiment.

(3) The Minister shall not accept an application for aid under these Regulations in relation to land which is situated in the area of the Uplands experiment unless such application has been received by him before 1st January 2000.”

6.  After Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations there shall be inserted Schedule 3 as set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.

Elliot Morley

Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

4th October 1999

regulation 6

SCHEDULE

regulation 2(1)

“SCHEDULE 3

PART I PARISHES WITHIN THE AREA OF THE BODMIN MOOR PROJECT

• Advent

• Allarnun

• Blisland

• Camelford

• Cardinham

• Davidstow

• Helland

• Lewannick

• Linkinhorne

• Michaelstow

• North Hill

• St. Breward

• St. Cleer

• St. Clether

• St. Ive

• St. Neot

• St. Tudy

• Warleggan

PART II PARISHES WITHIN THE AREA OF THE BOWLAND INITIATIVE

• Aighton, Bailey and Chaigley

• Arkholme with Cawood

• Barley with Wheatley Booth

• Barnacre with Bonds

• Bashall Eaves

• Billsborrow

• Blacko

• Bleasdale

• Bolton by Bowland

• Borwick

• Bowland Forest High

• Bowland Forest Low

• Bowland with Leagram

• Brogden

• Burrow with Burrow

• Cantsfield

• Caton with Littledale

• Chatburn

• Chipping

• Claughton (Lancs)

• Claughton (Wyre)

• Downham

• Easington

• Foulridge

• Gisburn

• Gisburn Forest

• Goldshaw Booth

• Great Mitton

• Gressingham

• Grindleton

• Halton with Aughton

• Hornby with Farleton

• Horton

• Ireby

• Leck

• Little Mitton

• Mearley

• Melling with Wrayton

• Middop

• Myresdale

• Nether Kellet

• Nether Wyresdale

• Newsholme

• Newton

• Over Kellet

• Over Wyresdale

• Paythorne

• Pendleton

• Priest Hutton

• Quernmore

• Ribchester

• Rimington

• Roeburndale

• Roughlee Booth

• Sawley

• Slaidburn

• Tatham

• Thornton with Wheatley

• Tunstall

• Twiston

• Waddington

• Wennington

• West Bradford

• Whittington

• Wiswell

• Worston

• Wray with Botton”

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

This Order amends the Organic Farming Regulations 1999 (“the principal Regulations”) which provide for the payment of aid to farmers who undertake to introduce organic farming methods and comply with certain environmental management conditions, pursuant to Article 2(1)(a) and (d) of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2078/92 (OJ No. L215, 30.7.92, p. 85) (“the Agri-environment Regulation”). The Agri-environment Regulation was repealed by Article 55(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/99 (OJ No. L160, 26.6.99, p. 80), but, by virtue of Article 55(3) of the latter Regulation, the Agri-environment Regulation continues to apply to actions approved by the Commission before 1st January 2000.

These Regulations amend the principal Regulations to provide that the Minister shall not, subject to the limited exception contained in regulation 6A(2), accept any applications for aid received on or after the date on which these Regulations come into force. The exception applies to applications in respect of land situated in the area of “the Uplands experiment” (as defined).

No regulatory impact assessment has been prepared in respect of this Order.

(1)

S.I. 1972/1811.

(2)

1972 c. 68.

(3)

S.I. 1999/590.