Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 90: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps she is taking to address the burden of red tape in agriculture; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8823/07]

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

I am fully committed to reducing unnecessary bureaucracy in the administration of the CAP and one of my main priorities is to pursue simplification of procedures at farm level. The adoption by Ireland of full decoupling under the Single Payment Scheme, thereby replacing six EU subsidy schemes each with complex application, qualification and implementation procedures, demonstrates in a very tangible manner the extent of my commitment. I have also, on a continuous basis, applied the benefits of IT, wherever possible, in the interests of quality customer service.

I fully support the EU Commission's ongoing efforts to reduce the regulatory burden of administration on producers, food processors and national administrations and I am contributing actively to this process. I have raised this issue on numerous occasions with the Commissioner and, indeed, with the German Presidency which is giving the highest priority to the process of simplification and the reduction of the bureaucratic burden of the CAP. I wrote to Commissioner Fischer Boel and the Presidency in January last outlining my concerns in relation to a number of specific issues. My main concerns relate to the lack of advance notification of inspections under the Single Payment Scheme and the level of sanctions to be applied under cross-compliance, including the extent of tolerance applied where non-compliance is inadvertent or negligible. I outlined my position in the Council of Ministers in January and urged the Commissioner to present proposals to improve the current situation as quickly as possible. I have also raised these matters with a number of EU Ministerial colleagues in order to garner support for my position.

I believe that other aspects of the Single Farm Payment System should also be simplified. Specifically, I am seeking additional flexibility in the management of the National Reserve and in the leasing arrangements for payment entitlements. I have also sought rationalisation in the payment dates, additional flexibility in application of the 'ten-month rule' and simplification of the current 'modulated funds' deduction procedure.

I intend to pursue these issues actively over the coming months, in particular in the context of a report by the Commission on the implementation of cross-compliance which is expected to be published at the end of March and presented to the Council in April.