Explanatory note

England, Wales and Scotland

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend, with effect from 15th January 1999, the Arable Area Payments Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/3142) (“the principal Regulations”), as amended by the Arable Area Payments (Amendment) Regulations 1997 (S.I. 1997/2969). The principal Regulations, as amended, implement Council Regulation 1765/92 (OJ No. L181, 1.7.92, p. 12), which establishes a support system for producers of certain arable crops, and Commission Regulations 334/93 (OJ No. L38, 16.2.93, p. 12), 762/94 (OJ No. L90, 7.4.94, p. 8), 658/96 (OJ No. L91, 12.4.96, p. 46) and 1586/97 (OJ No. L215, 7.8.97, p. 3).

These Regulations–

(a)

amend the rules relating to exchanges of eligible for ineligible land consequent on changes made to Article 2(5) of Commission Regulation 658/96 by Article 1 of Commission Regulation 1589/98 (regulation 3(3));

(b)

delete the provision permitting a farmer to claim set-aside compensatory payment on land which he had not farmed for the two years prior to the commencement of the set-aside period, consequent on Article 1 of Commission Regulation 1981/98, which repeals Article 3(4) of Commission Regulation 762/94 (regulation 3(4) and (7));

(c)

provide, in consequence of amendments to Commission Regulation 658/96 by Commission Regulation 760/98 (OJ No. L105, 4.4.98, p. 8), for conditions for the payment of a supplement in respect of compensatory payments for durum wheat (regulation 3(5)) and lay down record-keeping requirements in relation to the payment of the supplement (regulation 3(6));

(d)

permit the application of plant protection products other than herbicides on set-aside land after 15th July in any year, in preparation for the sowing of a crop for harvest the following year, and modify the restrictions on the application of herbicides to set-aside land where the herbicide is applied in preparation for growing a crop (regulation 3(8)(b)); and

(e)

make a number of additional, minor modifications.

No regulatory impact assessment has been prepared in respect of these Regulations.

Notes on the whole SI

Textual amendments

F1: Regulations revoked (E.) (1.3.2005) by The Common Agricultural Policy Single Payment and Support Schemes Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/219), regs. 1(1), 15(3), Sch. 2 (with reg. 15(8)); and revoked (W.) (1.3.2005) by The Common Agricultural Policy Single Payment and Support Schemes (Wales) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/360), regs. 1(1), 14(3) (with reg. 14(4)(5)(8))