Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 640/2014 CHAPTER I — SYSTEMS REQUIREMENTS

Article 5–Article 8 · 4 articles

Compiled from an official source version. Later amendments or repeals may not be reflected; the official text prevails. · Read the official text ↗

Identification of agricultural parcels

Article 5

1. The identification system for agricultural parcels referred to in Article 70 of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 shall operate at reference parcel level. A reference parcel shall contain a unit of land representing agricultural area as defined in Article 4(1)(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013. Where appropriate, a reference parcel shall also include areas as referred to in Article 32(2)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 and agricultural land as referred to in Article 28(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013. Member States shall delimit the reference parcel in such a way as to ensure that the reference parcel is measurable, enables the unique and unambiguous localisation of each agricultural parcel annually declared and as a principle, is stable in time. 2. Member States shall also ensure that agricultural parcels that are declared are reliably identified. They shall in particular require the aid applications and payment claims to be furnished with particular information or accompanied by documents specified by the competent authority that enable each agricultural parcel to be located and measured. For each reference parcel, Member States shall: (a) determine a maximum eligible area for the purpose of the support schemes listed in Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013; (b) determine a maximum eligible area for the purpose of the area-related measures referred to in Articles 28 to 31 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013; (c) locate and determine the size of those ecological focus areas listed in Article 46(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 for which the Member State has decided that they shall be considered as ecological focus area. For that purpose, Member States shall apply the conversion and/or weighting factors set out in Annex X to Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, where appropriate; (d) determine whether provisions for mountain areas, areas facing significant natural constraints and other areas affected by specific constraints as referred to in Article 32 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013, Natura 2000 areas, areas covered by Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 14 ) , agricultural land authorised for cotton production pursuant to Article 57 of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, areas naturally kept in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation as referred to in Article 4(1)(c)(iii) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, areas designated by Member States for the regional and/or collective implementation of ecological focus areas in accordance with Article 46(5) and (6) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, areas which have been notified to the Commission in accordance with Article 20 of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, areas covered with permanent grasslands which are environmentally sensitive in areas covered by Council Directive 92/43/EEC ( 15 ) or Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 16 ) and further sensitive areas referred to in Article 45(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 and/or areas designated by the Member States in accordance with Article 48 of that Regulation apply. 3. Member States shall ensure that the maximum eligible area per reference parcel as referred to in paragraph 2(a) is correctly quantified within a margin of maximum 2 %, thereby taking into account the outline and condition of the reference parcel. 4. For the measures referred to in Article 21(1)(a) and Articles 30 and 34 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013, Member States may establish appropriate alternative systems to uniquely identify the land subject to support where that land is covered by forest. 5. The GIS shall operate on the basis of a national coordinate reference system as defined in Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 17 ) which permits standardised measurement and unique identification of agricultural parcels throughout the Member State concerned. Where different coordinate systems are used, they shall be mutually exclusive and each of them shall ensure the consistency between items of information which refer to the same location.

Quality assessment of the identification system for agricultural parcels

Article 6

1. Member States shall annually assess the quality of the identification system for agricultural parcels for the purpose of the basic payment scheme and the single area payment scheme as referred to in Chapter 1 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013. That assessment shall encompass two conformance classes. The first conformance class shall cover the following elements in order to assess the quality of the identification system for agricultural parcels: (a) the correct quantification of the maximum eligible area; (b) the proportion and distribution of reference parcels where the maximum eligible area takes ineligible areas into account or where it does not take agricultural area into account; (c) the occurrence of reference parcels with critical defects. The second conformance class shall cover the following quality elements in order to identify possible weaknesses in the identification system for agricultural parcels: (a) the categorisation of reference parcels where the maximum eligible area takes ineligible areas into account, where it does not take agricultural area into account or reveals a critical defect; (b) the ratio of declared area in relation to the maximum eligible area inside the reference parcels; (c) the percentage of reference parcels which have been subject to change, accumulated over the years. Where the results of the quality assessment reveal deficiencies in the system, the Member State shall take appropriate remedial action. 2. Member States shall perform the assessment referred to in the paragraph 1 on the basis of a sample of reference parcels to be selected and provided by the Commission. They shall use data allowing to assess the current situation on the ground. 3. An assessment report and, where appropriate, the remedial actions and the timetable for their implementation shall be sent to the Commission by 31 January following the calendar year in question.

Identification and registration of payment entitlements

Article 7

1. The system for the identification and registration of payment entitlements provided for in Article 71 of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 shall be an electronic register at Member State level and shall, in particular with regard to the cross-checks provided for in paragraph 1 of that Article, ensure effective traceability of the payment entitlements as regards the following elements: (a) the holder; (b) the annual values; (c) the date of establishment; (d) the date of last activation; (e) the origin, in particular with regard to its attribution, original, national or regional reserves, as well as purchase, lease and inheritance; (f) where Article 21(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 is applied, the entitlements maintained by virtue of that provision; (g) where applicable, regional restrictions. 2. Member States having more than one paying agency, may decide to operate the electronic register at paying agency level. In that case, the Member State concerned shall ensure that the different registers are compatible with each other.

Identification of beneficiaries

Article 8

Without prejudice to Article 72(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013, the single system for recording the identity of each beneficiary provided for in Article 73 of that Regulation shall guarantee a unique identification with regard to all aid applications and payment claims or other declarations submitted by the same beneficiary.

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