Johnny Brady (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 253: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position regarding her efforts to bring about the simplification of EU Regulations including the issue of cross compliance inspections as these are applied to the farming community. [9166/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The position is that both I and my Department officials have been in regular contact with the European Commission with a view to simplification of the Single Payment Scheme with particular reference to the issue of the arrangements for cross-compliance inspections. I have also raised my concerns with Commissioner Fischer Boel and also with Minister Seehofer, the German President of the Agriculture Council.

I believe that the initiative on simplification of the CAP and the Commission's review of cross-compliance, which is expected to be finalised during March and debated in the Council of Agriculture Ministers in April, provides an ideal opportunity to have a fresh look at cross-compliance and other Single Payment related issues. At the same time, the need to safeguard the €1.9m annual payments to Irish farmers under the Single Payment Scheme, REPS and Compensatory Allowances must remain a critical factor for Ireland.

My officials are currently undertaking a review of the various inspection report forms with a view to simplification and these will be discussed with the farming organisations in advance of the start of inspections under the 2007 scheme.