This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Single Farm Payment Scheme
03/08/2004
The European Commission has clarified rules relating to the reference periods on which the Single Farm Payment Scheme for producers who have been affected by exceptional circumstances - or force majeure - during the historic reference period of 2000 to 2002.
These extend to those producers who were members of a qualifying agri-environmental scheme.
In a change to the Commission's previous guidance, producers should now be able to apply the force majeure provision to individual schemes within the reference period.
This will allow producers greater flexibility in order to arrive at a representative reference amount.
For example, a producer could request that one scheme be excluded for a particular year, rather than all schemes for that year having to be excluded.
Producers seeking to amend their reference amounts will still be required to:
- demonstrate each individual instance of force majeure or exceptional circumstances
- if appropriate, provide supporting evidence
- apply to their normal Area Office using the proforma that was attached to their June estimate
SEERAD will write to producers on an individual basis in the autumn with further details about the Single Farm Payment Scheme, including a revised estimate. Information on this change will be included at that time.
Producers who have already submitted requests to amend their reference amounts because of force majeure etc, need take no action because in many cases the scheme and year involved will be clear from their application.
Where it is not clear, SEERAD will contact them to clarify their situation.
Producers who wish to submit requests now should ensure that they make clear which scheme(s) and what year(s) was/were affected by the force majeure or exceptional circumstances.