ICMSA says farmers at a loss over complex BPS guidelines
FARMERS are being subjected to a ‘ bewilderingly’ complex regime when it comes to making sense of the terms and conditions of the Basic Payment Schele (BPS)/Greening.
Following the recent publication of a 76-page document explaining BPS terms and conditions, Deputy President of the ICMSA PAt McCormack said Commissioner Hogan’s simplification agenda must address this increasingly confusing area.
“For many farmers, the BPS/ Greening payment represents 100 per cent of their annual income and delays or penalties have a very serious impact on their livelihood,” Mr McCormack said.
“The very fact that it takes the department 79 pages to set out the terms and conditions around the legal aspects of the regime is proof-positive that the bureauracy around this system is simply way over-the-top and hopelessly impractical.
“We accept the need for regulation and oversight but it is quite clear that there are way too many conditions attached to this payment and there are specific problems recurring and causing problems year after year. The simplification agenda being implemented at EU level must focus on resolving these recurring problems,” he added
The ICMSA has made a number of proposals to Commissioner Hogan in relation to land eligibility, administrative penalties and tolerances that would simplify the regime for farmers, reduce unnecessary penalties and speed up payments.
“For example, the exclusion of farm roadways from eligible land makes no sense as roadways are an essential part of good farming practice and they should be regarded as necessary farm infrastructure and thus be eligible for payment,” Mr McCormack said. “Our point is that if these obvious and logical changes were accepted and introduced then the whole regime would become much more understandable in a way that would have to result in a speedier processing of payments.”
Mr McCormack added that the Nitrate regulations – which account for over 40 per cent of the total Cross Compliance penalties – could also be reformed in a way that reduces the penalties while meeting the requirements of the regulations.