New GAEC 2 requirements imposed on peat soils receiving Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) payments may not remain in place beyond 2027 as cross-compliance rules can change between CAPs, according to Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon.Minister Heydon cited the switch away from cross compliance as a means of policing cattle-tagging rules as a precedent of changing direct payment requirements when he spoke on GAEC 2 in the Seanad on Thursday.
New GAEC 2 requirements imposed on peat soils receiving Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) payments may not remain in place beyond 2027 as cross-compliance rules can change between CAPs, according to Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon.
Minister Heydon cited the switch away from cross compliance as a means of policing cattle-tagging rules as a precedent of changing direct payment requirements when he spoke on GAEC 2 in the Seanad on Thursday.
He denied the assertion that the introduction of GAEC 2 represents a form of land designation and suggested that farmer concerns around the potential impact of the new rules will not play out in reality.
“I can understand people's concern about this matter. This is a baseline entry requirement to qualify for the BISS scheme,” the minister stated.
“This is not a designation and it is not something that will be in place forever.
“Plenty of the conditionality for single farm payments in the past has changed, such as the tagging and registering of cattle. That conditionality is no longer in place.”
Eco-scheme
Minister Heydon went on to say that the GAEC 2 peatland rules will remain in place for the remainder of the current CAP, which will run until the end of 2027, but also said that “we cannot be sure it will exist beyond that”.
“If it does, it may be in the form of an eco-scheme. I want to reassure people that the fears in this regard are not justified.
“It is a baseline entry requirement and at its heart is that farmers can continue to actively farm, plough, sow, maintain existing drains and have new drains, in line with existing national legislation.”
Cowen reiterates claims of alarmism
Fianna Fáil MEP for midlands-northwest Barry Cowen reiterated claims on Monday that some politicians have been “alarmist” on the introduction of the GAEC 2 standards.
“There has been far too much alarmist rhetoric around GAEC 2, with some politicians seeking to exploit farmers’ genuine concerns for political gain,” Cowen said.
“The reality is that this measure is a necessary step to meet our CAP obligations, while ensuring that farmers can continue their work with minimal disruption.
“We must approach this issue with level-headedness, professionalism and political maturity. Farmers need certainty and clarity, not fearmongering.”
Read more
GAEC 2 land parcels can be redrawn
Step-by-step guide: how to check if your land is a GAEC 2 peat soil
Farmers in GAEC 2 will continue ‘normal agricultural activity’ - Heydon
BISS 2025 opens with two new conditionality standards
Appeals process for GAEC 2 peat soils
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