Rules introduced by European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan will see a significant reduction in penalties imposed on farmers found to be over-declaring land area. Hogan announced the proposals when addressing the European Commission in Brussels this week.
Rules introduced by European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan will see a significant reduction in penalties imposed on farmers found to be over-declaring land area.
Hogan announced the proposals when addressing the European Commission in Brussels this week.
Currently farmers are penalised by twice the difference of the area over declared, while under the
Commissioner’s proposals they will be penalised by 1.5 times the over-declared area.
Furthermore, the introduction of a yellow-card system will see the penalty imposed on first-time
offenders, where the over declaration is less than 10% of the land area declared, reduced by a further 50%.
For example, under the current system a farmer found to have declared 11ha but only farming 10ha would be penalised on 2ha and only receive payment on 8ha. As part of Hogan’s proposals, the same farmer will now be penalised on just 0.75ha and receive payment on 9.25ha.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Commissioner Hogan confirmed the introduction of a yellow-card system which would be fairer for those who make honest mistakes. “The yellow card and preliminary preventive checks of aid applications will reduce errors and end the climate of fear for farmers. The fairer and more proportionate system of penalties amounts to fair play for farmers who make honest mistakes, in particular small farmers,” Commissioner Hogan said.
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