Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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793. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the practical changes being introduced under Common Agricultural Policy simplification in 2016 that will directly benefit farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13141/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Simplification of the Common Agriculture Policy is a very important issue for Ireland and I have emphasised to the Commission that initiatives taken must result in genuine and real simplification for farmers and administrations alike. Since 2015 a number of simplification measures have been announced by the Commission, with the following range of measures introduced in 2016. These measures are either under way or will be announced shortly.

Following pressure from Ireland and some other Member States, the Commission has introduced a simplified system of administrative penalties and a “yellow card” system for first time breaches of certain direct payments rules. This system reduces the administrative penalty by 50% for a first-time breach for minor over-declarations i.e. less than 10% of the overall area. However, the farmer will be subjected to an on-the-spot inspection in the following year. While the implementation of the penalty element of this system can be introduced quite easily, the current requirement to re-inspect all yellow card recipients in the following year is more complex. This requirement will not result in reduced administration costs and I am pressing the Commission to ensure that a more targeted approach is taken on this particular issue.

The Commission has also introduced a facility allowing Member States to conduct preliminary checks of aid applications which will allow farmers to make corrections to their applications for up to 35 days after the final date of submission, without penalty. This is most welcome and my Department is implementing this system for online applications, which comprise over 75% of all Basic Payment Scheme applications in 2016.

On Rural Development, the publicity requirements for smaller farmers and the programming rules for financial instruments have been simplified and were recently adopted.

Commissioner Hogan will announce a greening package at the Council of Agriculture Ministers meeting in June, which is intended to be in place for the 2017 claim year. I would like to see a comprehensive and effective greening package be introduced, given the many difficulties encountered in this area and notified by Member States to the Commission, and have asked for consideration to be given to the requirement to sow catch crops on 100% of arable land under the equivalence criterion.