Explanatory Booklet IACS(1) 2005
COMPLETING THE SINGLE APPLICATION FORM IACS(2)
Introduction
100. The SAF asks for general information about you, your business and the land that you farm. In addition to the front page, there are the following 11 sections:
1 - Claim for Single Farm Payment Scheme
2 - Consolidation of Entitlements
3 - Purchase and Sale of Holdings
4 - Payment in Euros
5 - Land Eligibility
6 - Forage Area and Claim for LFASS 2006
7 - Cross-Compliance
8 - Area Summary
9 - Other EU Schemes Summary
10 - Checklist
11 - Declarations and Undertakings
Note:
You must complete Sections 1-8, 10 and 11 if you wish to claim for SFPS.
You must complete Sections 1-8, 10 and 11 if you wish to claim LFASS 2006.
You must complete Sections 1-8, 10 and 11 if you wish to claim SBCS.
You must complete Sections 9-11 if you wish to claim PCP.
You must complete Sections 9-11 if you wish to claim ECS.
You must complete Sections 9-11 if you wish to claim for NAS.
Page 1
101. The contact details that we hold for you will be pre-printed in the boxes on page 1. If any of these details require updating you should complete the LBCF enclosed with the IACS pack. More details about the business change procedures are given in the Guidance Notes included in the LBCF.
102. If your SAF includes land in another country, please tick the relevant box. Do not enter details of the other country's land in the Scottish SAF or FDS. All such land should be declared separately on the appropriate country's form which for known cross-border applicants will be included in the IACS pack. If the other country's form is not included with the IACS pack, contact your SEERAD Area Office.
SECTION 1-ENTITLEMENT DETAILS AND ESTABLISHMENT (QUESTIONS 1 AND 2)
103. Your entitlements will be pre-printed in Question 1. You can establish standard and set-aside entitlements by declaring sufficient land (0.3ha) either in question 16 of the SAF or on your FDS. We will activate all your entitlements when the land declared is validated and matches your number of entitlements. If you only have special entitlements then you do not have to declare land but must sign and date the form and fill in other relevant sections in order to establish these entitlements. If you do have land and declare it on the SAF then we will allocate a corresponding number of standard entitlements and remove the 'special' conditions. PLEASE CHECK THE NUMBER AND VALUE OF YOUR ENTITLEMENTS AGAINST THE STATEMENT WE SENT TO YOU IN NOVEMBER 2004. IF THEY ARE DIFFERENT AND YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SEERAD AREA OFFICE.
NOTE - If you have challenged the estimate(s) we sent to you, you will have/or soon will receive a letter telling you the outcome of your challenge. You will also receive a statement giving you an up-to-date estimate. The information on this statement supersedes the entitlements pre-printed at Question 1 if different.
SECTION 2 - CONSOLIDATION OF ENTITLEMENTS (QUESTIONS 3 - 6)
Question 3
104. You can request consolidation if you have less land on 15 May 2005 than the number of entitlements allocated to you. Consolidation is not available for set-aside entitlements. You must declare all your hectares in 2005 and this area must be no less than 50% of the average area declared in the reference period.
Question 4
105. You are eligible to apply if you have less land due to:
If you have not renewed a short-term let (including seasonal grazings), by 15 May 2005, following its expiry.
If you are a tenant whose landlord has taken back in hand, by 15 May 2005, due to circumstances beyond your control. If you have had notice to quit you can also apply under this category.
You can also apply for consolidation if you have lost land from 1 January 2003 to 16 May 2005, due to woodland creation.
You will be able to apply for consolidation in the 2006 IACS for woodland creation between 17 May 2005 and 15 May 2006.
Questions 5 and 6
106. If you have sold or leased out land and not replaced this land by an equal area of land, we will add the non-replaced land to the area of land you declare in your SAF 2005.
107. If your application to consolidate entitlements is successful, you will need to give up your standard entitlements to the National Reserve and in return you will receive consolidated National Reserve entitlements at a higher value on fewer hectares equal to the original value. These entitlements will have National Reserve conditions attached e.g. They cannot be sold or leased for 5 years. They must also be used each year for 5 years or the unused entitlements will be withdrawn.
108. If you over declared land during the reference period due to an obvious error and you bring it to our attention, including the submission of an LBCF, we will accept your case for consolidation. However, if the error was discovered at an inspection or by our administrative checks etc. We will not accept your case for consolidation. It is your responsibility to confirm the accuracy of your maps and the areas you claim/claimed in your IACS forms.
SECTION 3 - PURCHASE AND SALE OF HOLDINGS (QUESTIONS 7 - 12)
109. Where you are selling or purchasing entitlements with land using the 'private contract clause', you must complete this section showing the amount of land you are transferring in or out along with the corresponding number of hectares. You must supply a copy of the sales agreement showing that these rights are to be transferred. If the seller does not complete a SAF with a minimum of 0.3ha then no rights can be transferred and the entitlements will be lost to the National Reserve.
SECTION 4 - PAYMENT IN EUROS (QUESTION 13)
110. Complete Question 13 by ticking the box if you wish your SFPS, SBCS, PCP, ECS and NAS paid in euros. We will obtain the relevant bank information by asking you to complete a BACS form. The account will be separate from your existing account.
SECTION 5 - LAND ELIGIBILITY (QUESTIONS 14 AND 15)
111. Complete Question 14 by declaring the date you wish your 10 month occupancy start date to commence. The 10 month period can begin at any time from 1 October in the preceding year and 30 April in the year of the claim. Only one start date is permitted per claim, and a single start date will apply to all fields, including seasonal grazing, on your claim. If you are claiming SFPS and do not declare a date, we will apply a default date of 1 February 2005. Where you are taking on short-term/seasonal lets or shared grazings you must state the dates at Question 15 when your occupancy starts and finishes for each individual farm.
SECTION 6 - FORAGE AREAS (QUESTIONS 16 - 18)
Question 16: Common Grazing
112. Enter details of any COMMON GRAZING(S) in which you have a share. DO NOT ENTER DETAILS OF COMMON GRAZING SHARES ON YOUR IACS(3)s. For each Common Grazing, enter:
The code number(s) of the grazing, if known;
The name of the Common Grazing;
The unique field number, if you have it. If you do not have the unique field identifier, please enter the old field identifier;
The total area of the whole Common Grazing and your share of it. Exclude all apportionments when entering the total area of the Common Grazing; and
Your stated share, which must be after any reduction in your souming or entitlement made as a consequence of apportionments granted to you.
We will use the information to calculate your share of the total area of the Common Grazing, and will credit you with this amount. We will write to inform you of the credited area.
Question 17: Milk Quota Reference Numbers (only complete in the event of a change)
113. The milk quota reference numbers we hold for your business will be printed on page 1. If these have changed or if the page 1 milk quota box is blank, enter the correct milk quota reference numbers held by your business for the year ended 31 March 2005. Include any quota you have leased in, as well as your permanent quota. Do not include quota that you have leased out. We are required to check milk quota against records held by the RPA.
Question 18: Less-Favoured Areas Support Scheme (LFASS)
114. If you wish to claim Less-Favoured Areas Support for 2006, you must complete this question and tick the claim box. If you do not complete the tick box you will not be admitted to the scheme for the 2006 scheme year. There are specific declarations which relate to this scheme in Section 11B.
SECTION 7 - CROSS-COMPLIANCE (QUESTION 19)
Question 19
115. As indicated in paragraphs 41-47, Cross-Compliance applies to all land and animals within an agricultural business. We therefore need details of the livestock on your holding as of 1 March 2005. Identify which species are on your farm at any time in 2005 and tick the relevant box. Enter the number present at 1 March 2005.
SECTION 8 - AREA SUMMARY (QUESTION 20)
Question 20
116. Enter a summary of your total claim under SFPS for the compatible crops shown in Annex 3. Do this by totalling entries in column I of the IACS(3) for each individual crop group. Separate totals are required for LFA and Non-LFA land. Also enter the sub-total of areas for flax, hemp and the various types of set-aside i.e. normal, non-food, and structural set-aside from the entries in column I.
SECTION 9 - OTHER EU SCHEMES (QUESTION 21)
Question 21
117. Enter the total areas of fields for PCP, ECS or NAS if you are claiming for these in 2005 by adding together all the areas of fields of proteins, energy crops and nuts entered in columns I and K of your IACS(3).
If you are claiming this supplement in 2005, enter a summary of the LFA and Non-LFA areas claimed as proteins in the Field Data Sheets.
If you are claiming aid under the Energy Crops Scheme, enter a summary of the LFA and Non-LFA areas claimed in the Field Data Sheets.
If you are claiming aid under the Nuts Aid Scheme, enter a summary of the LFA and Non-LFA areas claimed in the Field Data Sheets.
SECTION 10 - CHECKLIST (QUESTIONS 22 - 25)
118. This section lists the supporting documents that you need to provide with your application. Enter the number of documents you have attached in the boxes on this page. Check the list carefully. If you do not provide all necessary documents, we may not be able to accept your SAF and you may lose some or all of your entitlement to aid. Check that each supporting document shows your name (or the applicant's name, if signed by an agent), your signature and your main holding number.
SECTION 11 - DECLARATIONS AND UNDERTAKINGS
119. Read the declarations and undertakings carefully before you sign the form. All applicants must be over 16 years of age. All applications must be signed by the applicant or by an agent authorised in writing (see paragraph 16). Show your status in the box provided, for example applicant, applicant's agent, company secretary, partner etc. Do not sign the form using the business name. If you are an agent applying on behalf of the farmer, check that you have the necessary authorisation to sign this year's form. If not, ensure that a separate written authorisation is provided (form AA1). If the application is made on behalf of an IACS group (for example a number of legally separate businesses that are treated as a single business for IACS purposes), ensure that the representative who signs the SAF has the necessary written authority to act for each of the legally separate businesses within the IACS group.
120. Following the new provision of the Freedom of Information Act (Scotland) 2002 which came into force on 1 January 2005, Scottish Ministers have advised that the SE Policy will be to disclose information about recipients and the amount of subsidy under the new SFPS and new schemes under the Rural Development Regulation. More details on the policy are contained in paragraph 2. To implement the policy we need more information about the status of your business. Please tick the box that best describes your IACS business.
Subsequent Action
121. When you have completed and signed your IACS(2) and IACS(3) forms, attach the IACS(3)s securely to your completed IACS(2) and return them to your SEERAD Area Office together with any completed LBCFs. Ensure that they are received by 16 May 2005. You are advised to keep copies of all the documents that you provide, for your own use and as an aid to completing your June agricultural census return. For all IACS schemes, you must keep relevant records for 4 years from the end of the calendar year in which you submitted your claim.
122. You can submit your forms electronically if you have access to the Internet. For further information and details on how to access the electronic system, visit our website atwww.scotfarmonline.gov.ukor contact your SEERAD Area Office.
You may also, if you wish, use printouts of your own computer generated Field Data Sheets, provided:
They reproduce exactly the same layout and headings as shown on the IACS(3)s;
They are easy to read and photocopy; and
They are signed and dated on each sheet.
Note - A computer generated Single Application Form is NOT acceptable but you may use a printout of the Single Application Form template provided on the Scottish Executive Internet site www.scotland.gov.uk/about/agriculture.