Framework for criteria on maintaining the agricultural area in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation
1. For the purposes of the point (ii) of Article 4(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, the criteria that farmers are to meet in order to fulfil the obligation to maintain the agricultural area in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation without preparatory action going beyond usual agricultural methods and machineries shall be established by Member States in either or both of the following ways:
(a)
Member States require at least one annual activity to be carried out by a farmer. Where justified for environmental reasons, Member States may decide to recognise also activities that are carried out only every second year;
(b)
Member States set out the characteristics to be met by an agricultural area in order to be deemed maintained in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation.
2. When establishing criteria referred to in paragraph 1, Member States may distinguish between different types of agricultural areas.
Framework for minimum activities on agricultural areas naturally kept in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation
For the purposes of the point (iii) of Article 4(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, the minimum activity to be established by the Member States that is to be carried out on agricultural areas naturally kept in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation shall be at least one annual activity to be carried out by a farmer. Where justified for environmental reasons, Member States may decide to recognise also activities that are carried out only every second year.
Predominance of grasses and other herbaceous forage in case of permanent grassland
For the purposes of Article 4(1)(h) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, grasses and other herbaceous forage shall be deemed to remain predominant where they cover more than 50 % of the eligible area at the level of the agricultural parcel within the meaning of Article 67(4)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013.
Established local practices in case of permanent grassland
For the purposes of Article 4(1)(h) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, established local practices shall be any or a combination of the following:
(a)
practices for areas for livestock grazing which are traditional in character and are commonly applied on the areas concerned;
(b)
practices which are important for the conservation of habitats listed in Annex I to Council Directive 92/43/EEC ( 17 ) and of biotopes and habitats covered by Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 18 ) .
Reduction coefficient according to Article 32(5) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013
When applying Article 32(5) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 for permanent grassland which can be grazed and which forms part of established local practices where grasses and other herbaceous forage are traditionally not predominant in grazing areas, Member States may distinguish between different categories of areas in order to apply different reduction coefficients to such categories.
Production of hemp
For the purposes of Article 32(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, the eligibility of areas used for the production of hemp shall be subject to the use of seed of the varieties listed in the ‘Common Catalogue of Varieties of Agricultural Plant Species’ on 15 March of the year in respect of which the payment is granted and published in accordance with Article 17 of Council Directive 2002/53/EC ( 19 ) . The seed shall be certified in accordance with Council Directive 2002/57/EC ( 20 ) .
Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
