Outline of the Scheme 
Aid will be paid for areas sown in crops which you are growing for the production of energy products and which meet the scheme conditions. For 2009, we will pay a flat rate of aid of €45 per hectare, for areas sown under energy crops. The payment is subject to a ceiling of 2 million hectares throughout the EU. We will reduce the payment of €45 per hectare if this ceiling is exceeded. We will modulate ECS payments. The modulation rates for 2009 are 5% (EU) and 8.5% (National). We aim to pay this between 1 December 2009 and 30 June 2010.
If you grow energy crops, we will only pay aid on areas where production is covered by either a contract between you and a processor, or a declaration by you that you are processing the crop on your holding, for use on your holding. To claim for ECS you need to enter the relevant codes and area in columns H and I of the data sheets on your Single Application Form (SAF). You need to send us a copy of the contract or your declaration with your SAF.