GREENING (Council position)

1. MS can decide that farmers shall carry out equivalent practices not 3 EC measures MS shall grant annual payment to farmers who observe Greening practices GREENING (Council position) RD agri-environment measures Area-based payment Payment as % of BP. Convergence applies OR Equivalence 3 measures Greening Penalty = Loss of Greening payments plus possible additional administrative penalty of 25% of Greening payment National or regional environmental certification schemes Weighting factors (surface area to envt benefit) Crop diversification 2 crops if arable = 10 – 30ha 3 crops if arable >30ha Ecological Focus Areas (15ha agri area excluding PG). Maintain PG 5% of eligible area excl PG in 2014. 7% in 2018 (review) Regional and collective delivery options EFA/Crop Div EXEMPTIONS Fallow, buffer strips without fert/pest, landscape features, RD agro-forestry, perm crops with 20 – 250 trees/ha, SRC, green cover, N-fixing crops Derogation to allow MS to monitor if 2012 ratio of PG to ag area, has not fallen by >5% from reference period Additional exemption from EFA >75% ag area is PG or TG >75% of ag area is under RD agri-envt Holdings in ANC areas with 50% forest area and ratio of forest area to ag area higher 3:1 >75% arable area is TG