Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 241: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will review the single farm payment inspection process and introduce a streamlined, efficient and less bureaucratic system for farmers; her views on whether the 66 page, 1,450 item checklist which requires her Department inspectors' signatures in almost 30 places must be radically and immediately reformed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8042/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department is committed to ensuring the maximum level of integration of inspections across all areas including inspections under the disadvantaged areas scheme. On this basis, the overall number of annual inspections under the single payment scheme and disadvantaged areas scheme is unlikely to exceed 8,000. This is a significant reduction from the 18,000 inspections annually under the old coupled regime.

My Department is carrying out a full review of the inspection arrangements for the single payment scheme and the disadvantaged areas scheme before finalising the report forms and checklists for 2007. The review will also involve consultation with the farm bodies and this process will commence as soon as possible.

My Department is in regular contact with the European Commission with a view to simplification of single payment scheme requirements with particular reference to advance notice of inspections and tolerances. The initiative by the Commission on simplification of the CAP and the review of cross-compliance, which is under way, provides the opportunity for a fresh look at cross-compliance and other single payment scheme issues. I am certainly pressing for this both in direct contact with Commissioner Fischer Boel and the President of the Council, Minister Seehofer. I raised the matter at the Council recently where several member states had similar problems to ours. It is not surprising then that simplification of the CAP and the cross-compliance regime in particular are core issues for the current German Presidency of the EU.