Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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725. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which his Department ensures that linking eligibility or participation in CAP schemes such as SCEP or SIS to the use of systems (details supplied) does not create conflicts of interest or market distortions; and to provide any assessments conducted under Article 8(4)(b) to evaluate the impact on breeders' economic activities. [65528/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Regulation (EU) 2016/1012 refers to breeders participating in breeding programmes of recognised breed societies of certain purebred breeds. The eligibility or participation in the CAP schemes such as SCEP or SIS is not limited to breeders participating in such breeding programmes but is governed by the eligibility criteria for those schemes. In the case of SCEP and SIS, linking genomic information to scheme participation follows extensive consultation with stakeholders and is in line with the best available scientific information and International best practice.

Article 8(4)(b) refers to the obligations on breed societies, recognised under Regulation (EU) 2016/1012, to ensure there is no conflict of interest in outsourcing specific technical activities to a third party as part of their breeding programme. As part of the official control process, assessment is undertaken to ensure a signed 'Service Level Agreement' (SLA) between the third party and the breed society is in place and a statement of conflict of interest is addressed. It is up to both parties to manage this process.