Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 207: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the progress made on the issue of adequate notice to farmers for on farm cross-compliance inspections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18876/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The position is that a Commission report on the application of cross-compliance was presented to the April 2007 Agriculture Council and Council conclusions were adopted in June 2007. One of issues covered in the conclusions was advance notice of inspections. Council and Commission Regulations are now in place implementing the new arrangements with effect from 1 January 2008.

Under the new regime, while all inspections should be unannounced, up to 14 days notice can be given for land eligibility and cross-compliance inspections involving Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs) other than those related to animal identification and registration, food, feed, and animal welfare. For checks involving cattle identification and registration the maximum advance notice is 48 hours provided the Inspector is satisfied that the purpose of the inspection is not jeopardised. For SMRs dealing with feed, food and animal welfare no advance notice may be given.

The Department is required to ensure that the control environment established under cross-compliance is robust and meets with regulatory and audit requirements. Nevertheless, the Department believes that the cross-compliance provisions were overly complex for farmers and has sought and gained appropriate simplification in the context of the review of cross-compliance conducted by the Commission and the Regulations introduced as a result.

It is intended however, that further simplification of the cross-compliance arrangements will be pursued in the context of the CAP Health Check. Specifically, Ireland is committed to pursuing indent 14 of the June, 2007 Council conclusions which requested the Commission "to study ways of improving the coherence and practicability of the control provisions in the different sectors covered by the Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs) for example as regards control rates and advance notice for on-the-spot checks".