Regulation 3 Aid for Organic Farming
Subject to the provisions of these Regulations, the Minister may make payments of aid to an applicant who—
satisfies the conditions of eligibility specified in regulation 4; and
makes an application in accordance with regulation 5 and also complies with any requirements made by the Minister under that regulation.
Payments of aid shall be restricted to—
subject to paragraphs (4) to (7) below, the specified period; and
300 hectares per holding.
Subject to paragraphs (4) to (7) below, the amount of aid payable to a beneficiary shall be calculated in accordance with the Schedule to these Regulations.
For the purposes of these Regulations, the date of commencement and duration of the conversion period in relation to any holding in respect of which an application is made shall be determined by the inspection authority.
Subject to paragraphs (6) and (7) below, aid shall be payable to an applicant from the date on which his application has been accepted by the Minister and notified to him in accordance with regulation 6.
Subject to paragraph (7) below, where the conversion period of any holding has commenced on a date prior to the date on which the Minister has accepted an application in respect of such holding, the Minister may make payments of aid in respect of that holding from the date of commencement of the conversion period of that holding.
Aid at the rates specified in the Schedule as payable for the conversion period shall not be payable in respect of any holding—
from a date prior to the date on which the application relating to that holding was received by the Minister;
for a period exceeding two years.
Aid shall not be payable in respect of any holding which—
at the date of the making of an application in respect thereof, is fully organic; or
has been fully organic at any time after 9th August 1993 and before the date of the making of an application in respect thereof.