Specific requirements pertaining to aid applications for area-related aid schemes and payment claims for area-related support measures
Article 17
1. For the purpose of the identification of all agricultural parcels on the holding and/or non-agricultural land as referred to in Article 14(1)(d) and (e), the competent authority shall provide the beneficiary with the pre-established form and the corresponding graphic material referred to in Article 72(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 through a GIS-based interface, enabling the processing of the spatial and alphanumerical data of the areas declared (hereinafter referred to as ‘geo-spatial aid application form’). 2. Paragraph 1 shall apply as follows: (a) As from claim year 2016, to a number of beneficiaries corresponding to that required to cover at least 25 % of the total area determined for the basic payment scheme or the single area payment scheme in the previous year; (b) As from claim year 2017, to a number of beneficiaries corresponding to that required to cover at least 75 % of the total area determined for the basic payment scheme or the single area payment scheme in the previous year; (c) As from claim year 2018, to all beneficiaries. 3. Where the beneficiary is not in the position to submit the aid application and/or payment claim using the geo-spatial aid application form, the competent authority shall provide the beneficiary with either: (a) the required technical assistance; or (b) the pre-established forms and the corresponding graphic material in paper. In this case, the competent authority shall transcribe the information received from the beneficiary into the geo-spatial aid application form. 4. The pre-established forms provided to the beneficiary shall specify the maximum eligible area per reference parcel in accordance with points (a) and (b) of Article 5(2) of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 640/2014 and the area determined in the previous year per agricultural parcel for the purposes of the basic payment scheme, the single area payment scheme and/or area-related rural development measure. The graphic material supplied to the beneficiary in accordance with Article 72(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 shall indicate the boundaries and the unique identification of the reference parcels as referred to in Article 5(1) of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 640/2014 and the boundaries of the agricultural parcels determined in the previous year as to enable the beneficiary to indicate correctly the size and location of each agricultural parcel. As from claim year 2016, it shall also indicate the type, size and location of the ecological focus areas determined in the previous year. 5. The beneficiary shall unambiguously identify and declare the area of each agricultural parcel and, where applicable, the type, size and location of the ecological focus areas. With regard to the greening payment, the beneficiary shall also specify the use of the agricultural parcels declared. For this purpose, the beneficiary may confirm the information already provided in the pre-established form. However, where the information on the area, location or boundary of the agricultural parcel or, where applicable, the size and location of the ecological focus areas is not correct or is incomplete, the beneficiary shall correct or make changes to the pre-established form. The competent authority shall assess on the basis of the corrections or complements provided by the beneficiaries in the pre-established form whether an update of the corresponding reference parcel is required, having regard to Article 5(3) of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 640/2014. 6. Where the beneficiary is carrying out equivalent practices in accordance with Article 43(3)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 through commitments undertaken in accordance with Article 39(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 ( 14 ) or Article 28(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013, the commitment shall be indicated in the aid application with reference to the corresponding payment claim. Where the beneficiary is carrying out equivalent practices through national or regional environmental certification schemes in accordance with Article 43(3)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, paragraphs 4 and 5 of this Article shall apply mutatis mutandis as regards the pre-established form and the declaration by the beneficiary. For the purpose of regional or collective implementations in accordance with Article 46(5) and 46(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 and for the part of the ecological focus area obligations that the beneficiaries have to fulfil individually, beneficiaries participating in such regional or collective implementations shall unambiguously identify and declare, in respect of each agricultural parcel, the type, size and location of the ecological focus area in accordance with paragraph 5 of this Article. In their aid application or payment claim beneficiaries shall make reference to the declaration of a regional or collective implementation as referred to in Article 18 of this Regulation. 7. For areas used for the production of hemp in accordance with Article 32(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, the single application shall contain: (a) all information required for the identification of the parcels sown with hemp, indicating the varieties of seed used; (b) an indication as to the quantities of the seeds used (kg per hectare); (c) the official labels used on the packaging of the seeds in accordance with Council Directive 2002/57/EC ( 15 ) , and in particular Article 12 thereof, or any other document recognised as equivalent by the Member State. By way of derogation from point (c) of the first subparagraph, where sowing takes place after the final date for submitting the single application, the labels shall be submitted by 30 June at the latest. Where the labels also have to be submitted to other national authorities, the Member States may provide for those labels to be returned to the beneficiary once they have been submitted in accordance with that point. The labels returned shall be marked as used for an application. 8. For the crop specific payment for cotton provided for in Chapter 2 of Title IV of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013, the single application shall contain: (a) the name of the variety of cotton seed used; (b) where appropriate, the name and address of the approved inter-branch organisation of which the beneficiary is a member. 9. Areas that are not used for the purposes of the aid schemes provided for in Titles III, IV and V of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 or for the support schemes in the wine sector as referred to in Regulation (EC) No 1308/2013 shall be declared under one or more ‘other uses’ headings.