Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/699 of 10 May 2016 establishing budgetary ceilings for 2016 applicable to certain direct support schemes provided for in Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing rules for direct payments to farmers under support schemes within the framework of the common agricultural policy and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 637/2008 and Council Regulation (EC) No 73/2009^f1, and in particular Articles 22(1), 36(4), 42(2), 47(3), 49(2), 51(4) and 53(7) thereof,

Whereas:

For each Member State implementing the basic payment scheme provided for in Chapter 1 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, the annual national ceiling referred to in Article 22(1) of that Regulation for 2016 has to be set by the Commission by deducting from the annual national ceiling set out in Annex II to that Regulation the ceilings fixed in accordance with Articles 42, 47, 49, 51 and 53 of that Regulation. In accordance with Article 22(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 any increases applied by Member States pursuant to that provision are to be taken into account.

For each Member State implementing the single area payment scheme provided for in Chapter 1 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, the annual national ceiling referred to in Article 36(4) of that Regulation for 2016 has to be set by the Commission by deducting from the annual national ceiling set out in Annex II to that Regulation the ceilings fixed in accordance with Articles 42, 47, 49, 51 and 53 of that Regulation.

For each Member State granting the redistributive payment provided for in Chapter 2 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, the annual national ceiling referred to in Article 42(2) of that Regulation for 2016 has to be set by the Commission on the basis of the percentage notified by those Member States pursuant to Article 42(1) of that Regulation.

In relation to the payment for agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment provided for in Chapter 3 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 in 2016, the annual national ceilings referred to in Article 47(3) of that Regulation for 2016 have to be calculated in accordance with Article 47(1) of that Regulation and amounting to 30 % of the national ceiling of the relevant Member State as set out in Annex II to that Regulation.

For Member States granting the payment for areas with natural constraints provided for in Chapter 4 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, the annual national ceilings referred to in Article 49(2) of that Regulation for 2016 have to be set by the Commission on the basis of the percentage notified by the relevant Member States pursuant to Article 49(1) of that Regulation.

In relation to the payment for young farmers provided for in Chapter 5 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, the annual national ceilings referred to in Article 51(4) of that Regulation for 2016 have to be set by the Commission on the basis of the percentage notified by Member States pursuant to Article 51(1) of that Regulation and shall not be higher than 2 % of the annual ceiling set out in Annex II.

Where the total amount of the payment for young farmers applied for in 2016 in a Member State exceeds the ceiling set pursuant to Article 51(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 for that Member State, the difference has to be financed by the Member State in accordance with Article 51(2) of that Regulation whilst respecting the maximum amount laid down in Article 51(1) of that Regulation. For the sake of clarity, it is appropriate to set this maximum amount for each Member State.

For each Member State granting voluntary coupled support provided for in Chapter 1 of Title IV of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 in 2016, the Commission has to set the annual national ceiling referred to in Article 53(7) of that Regulation for 2016 on the basis of the percentage notified by the relevant Member State pursuant to Article 54(1) of that Regulation.

Concerning the year 2016, the implementation of direct support schemes provided for in Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 started on 1 January 2016. For the sake of consistency between the applicability of that Regulation for the claim year 2016 and the applicability of the corresponding budgetary ceilings, this Regulation should apply from the same date.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Direct Payments,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: