Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

The introduction of the single payment scheme, involving the move to a decoupled system in Ireland, and the linkage to cross-compliance requirements set down in EU legislation and dealing with the environment, public, animal and plant health and animal welfare was a major challenge both for farmers and my Department. The need to provide detailed information for farmers and to engage in consultation with the farm bodies on the wide-ranging changes inherent in the single payment scheme was recognised at an early stage. A number of information guides and consultation papers on various issues were prepared and distributed to farmers in the last three years. These were augmented by a series of countrywide information meetings for farmers that were delivered by my Department and Teagasc during the latter half of 2004 and again in 2005. My Department also hosted seminars on the single payment scheme at events such as the national ploughing championships at which there were large farming audiences.

Specifically on cross-compliance, my Department published two separate booklets in 2005 and 2006 which were sent to every farmer in the country. These dealt with the 18 statutory management requirements, SMRs, on good agricultural and environmental conditions under cross-compliance. A separate information booklet dealing with the nitrates element of cross-compliance issued to all farmers during November 2006. This was followed by a further series of countrywide information seminars for farmers.

The regulations governing the single payment scheme provide for a farm advisory system that can advise farmers on the various cross-compliance requirements to be available in member states. Ireland already has in place a well developed farm advisory service through Teagasc and private consultancies. These channels can be of major help to farmers in ensuring understanding and observance of the cross-compliance rules. My Department is currently arranging information meetings for Teagasc and private agricultural consultants, with particular emphasis on cross-compliance with a view to updating them on the various SMRs on good agricultural and environmental conditions.

I am very conscious of the concerns of farmers regarding cross-compliance and the risk of incurring financial penalties in their direct payments. This is an issue not only for Irish farmers and my Department, it is also high on the agenda of farmers and administrations in several member states. I have raised my concerns — particularly those relating to the inspection arrangements and the need for advance notice — with Commissioner Fischer Boel on a number of occasions both in person and in formal communication. I have also discussed the problems with Minister Seehofer, the German President of the Agriculture Council, and I am most heartened by his commitment to deal with the issues which are high on the agenda of the Presidency. I took the opportunity when in Paris last weekend to attend the International Agriculture Show to meet my German and French counterparts and impress on them the need to lessen the burden of bureaucracy on farmers in the simplification process now under way.

The Commission is at an advanced stage in finalising a review document on cross-compliance. I expect this to be cleared through the Commission before the end of March and it will then go to the Agriculture Council for discussion in April. With the commitment of the Presidency to progressing the dossier speedily, I hope that changes can be agreed in time to apply to the 2007 inspection arrangements.

In conjunction with this, my Department is carrying out a full review of the inspection arrangements and checklists for the single payment scheme with a view to simplification of the arrangements, including paperwork, where possible, while ensuring compliance with the regulatory requirements. The inspection checklists are documents for completion by my Department's inspectors and not by farmers. The review of inspection report forms, together with the outcome of the Commission's review of the cross-compliance arrangements generally, will be fully discussed with the farming organisations before the single payments inspections for 2007 get under way.

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