# The Farm Sustainability Payment Scheme (Eligibility etc) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025, Regulation 2: Interpretation


(1) In these Regulations–
“agricultural parcel” has the same meaning as in paragraph 4(a) of Article 67 of the Horizontal Regulation;
“applicant” means an eligible farm business which has applied for a payment under the scheme;
“blanket bog” has the same meaning as in the Habitat Guide: Blanket Bog;
“the Commission Delegated Regulation” means Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No.640/2014 of 11 March 2014 supplementing Regulation (EU) No.1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to the integrated administration and controls system and conditions for refusal or withdrawal of payments and administrative penalties applicable to direct payments, rural development support and cross compliance;
“the Commission Implementing Regulation” means Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No.809/2014 of 17 July 2014 laying down the rules for the application of the Horizontal Regulation and of the Council with regard to the integrated administration and control system, rural development measures and cross compliance;
“the Department” means the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs;
“the Direct Payments Regulation” means Regulation (EU) No.1307/2013 of the European Parliament and Council of 17 December 2013 establishing the rules for direct payments to farmers under support schemes within the framework of the common agricultural policy;
“discrete areas of eligible woodland” means woodland parcels mapped on the LPIS which are less than 5 hectares;
“eligible farm business” means a farm business which has applied for a payment under the scheme on or before 9 June in each scheme year and meets all requirements of the scheme;
“the Horizontal Regulation” means Regulation (EU) No.1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of Council on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy;
“ineligible features and land uses” means features and land uses specified in Schedule 1;
“land” means land mapped on the LPIS and includes an agricultural parcel;
“lowland raised bog” has the same meaning as in the Habitat Guide: Lowland raised bog;
“LPIS” means the Land Parcel Identification System maintained by the Department;
“the Rural Development Regulation” means Regulation (EU) No.1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development;
“scheme” means the Farm Sustainability Payment Scheme administered by the Department;
“scheme year” means a year beginning on 1 January and ending on 31 December;
“soft features” means any vegetative features not included in Schedule 1;
“the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme” means the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme administered by the Department;
“training” means training provided by or on behalf of the Department;
“woodland block” means an area comprising a number of woodland parcels which, based on previous declarations or otherwise, appear to be managed as a single entity and together has an area of 5 or more hectares;
“zoological conservation land” means land on which animals not typically used in Northern Ireland for farming purposes are kept primarily for study, conservation or display of those animals to the public.
(2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nidsr/2025/9780338025326/regulation/2 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/draft-farm-sustainability-payment-scheme-eligibility-etc-regulations-northern-ireland-2025/regulation-2
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.