Regulation 1 Citation, commencement and interpretationI1

These Regulations may be cited as the Farm Sustainability Standards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 and come into operation on 1st January 2026.

The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954^f1 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

In these Regulations—

• “agri-environment agreement” means an agreement entered into under a measure supported by the European Fund for Rural Development and forming part of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme approved by the European Commission under Article 10 of Council Regulation (EU) No.1305/2013^f2 or under a measure listed in Article 36 of Council Regulation (EC) 1698/2005^f3 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD);

• “authorised person” means any person authorised by the Department to act in matters relation to these Regulations, the Horizontal Regulation, the Commission Implementing Regulation or the Commission Delegated Regulation;

• “the Commission Delegated Regulation” means Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No.640/2014^f4 with regards to the integrated admission and control system and conditions for refusal or withdrawal of payments and administrative penalties applicable to direct payment, rural development support and Cross Compliance;

• “the Commission Implementing Regulation” means Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No.809/2014^f5 laying down the rules for the application of the Horizontal Regulation;

• “DAERA” means the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs;

• “the Direct Payment Regulation” means Regulation (EU) No1307/2013^f6 establishing rules for Farm Sustainability Payments to farmers under support schemes within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy;

• “farm sustainability standards” means the Farm Sustainability Standards Scheme standards in regulation 2;

• “the Horizontal Regulation” means Regulation (EU) No1306/2013^f7 on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy;

• “non-compliance” means the contravention of Farm Sustainability Standards for the purposes of Article 93 of the Horizontal Regulation;

• “scheme year” means the year beginning on 1st January and ending 31^st December.

These Regulations apply in respect of aid applications relating to the 2026 scheme year and subsequent scheme years;

Any reference in these Regulations to a statutory provision is a reference to that statutory provision as amended from time to time.

Other expressions used in these Regulations shall be construed in accordance with the Direct Payment Regulation.