Control rate for area-related aid schemes other than the payment for agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and environment
For area-related aid schemes other than the payment for agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment in accordance with Chapter 3 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the greening payment’), the control sample for on-the-spot checks carried out each year shall cover at least:
(a)
5 % of all beneficiaries applying for the basic payment scheme or the single area payment scheme in accordance with Chapter 1 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013. Member States shall ensure that the control sample contains at least 5 % of all beneficiaries declaring mainly agricultural areas which are areas naturally kept in a state suitable for grazing in accordance with Article 10(1) of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 639/2014;
(b)
5 % of all beneficiaries applying for the redistributive payment in accordance with Chapter 2 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;
(c)
5 % of all beneficiaries applying for the payment for areas with natural constraints in accordance with Chapter 4 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;
(d)
5 % of all beneficiaries applying for the payment for young farmers in accordance with Chapter 5 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;
(e)
5 % of all beneficiaries applying for area-related payments under voluntary coupled support in accordance with Chapter 1 of Title IV of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;
(f)
5 % of all beneficiaries applying for the payment under the small farmers scheme in accordance with Title V of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;
(g)
30 % of the areas declared for the production of hemp in accordance with Article 32(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;
(h)
5 % of all beneficiaries applying for the crop specific payment for cotton in accordance with Chapter 2 of Title IV of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.
Control rate for the greening payment
1. For the greening payment, the control sample for on-the-spot checks carried out each year shall cover at least:
(a)
5 % of all beneficiaries required to observe the agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment (hereinafter referred to as ‘the greening practices’), and who are not part of the control populations referred to in points (b) and (c) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the control population for greening’); this sample shall, at the same time, cover at least 5 % of all beneficiaries having areas covered with permanent grasslands which are environmentally sensitive in areas covered by Council Directive 92/43/EEC ( 17 ) or Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 18 ) and further sensitive areas referred to in Article 45(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;
(b)
3 % of:
(i)
either all beneficiaries qualifying for the greening payment who are exempted from both the crop diversification and the ecological focus area obligations by not meeting the thresholds referred to in Articles 44 and 46 of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 and who are not concerned by the obligations referred to in Article 45 of that Regulation;
(ii)
or, in the years where Article 44 of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 639/2014 does not apply in a Member State, the beneficiaries qualifying for the greening payment who are exempted from both the crop diversification and the ecological focus area obligations by not meeting the thresholds referred to in Articles 44 and 46 of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 and who are not concerned by the obligations referred to in Article 45(1) of that Regulation;
(c)
5 % of all beneficiaries required to observe the greening practices and using national or regional environmental certification schemes as referred to in Article 43(3)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;
(d)
5 % of all beneficiaries participating in a regional implementation in accordance with Article 46(5) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;
(e)
5 % of the collective implementation in accordance with Article 46(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;
(f)
100 % of the contiguous structures of adjacent ecological focus areas as referred to in Article 46(3) of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 639/2014;
(g)
100 % of all beneficiaries with an obligation to re-convert land into land under permanent grassland according to Article 42 of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 639/2014;
(h)
20 % of all beneficiaries with an obligation to re-convert land into land under permanent grassland according to Article 44(2) and (3) of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 639/2014.
2. Beneficiaries who observe the greening practices through equivalent practices in accordance with Article 43(3)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 or who participate in the small farmers scheme in accordance with Article 61 of that Regulation or who comply for the whole holding with the requirements laid down in Article 29(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 ( 19 ) as regards organic farming shall not be part of the control sample and shall not be counted against the control rates laid down in this Article.
3. Where the ecological focus areas are not identified in the identification system for agricultural parcels as referred to in Article 70 of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013, the control rate laid down in points (a) and (c) to (e) of paragraph 1 shall be supplemented by 5 % of all beneficiaries of the respective control sample who are required to have ecological focus area on the agricultural area in accordance with Articles 43 and 46 of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.
However, the first subparagraph shall not apply where the administration and control system ensures that all ecological focus areas declared are identified and, where applicable, recorded in the identification system for agricultural parcels in accordance with Article 5(2)(c) of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 640/2014 before payment.
Control rate for rural development measures
1. The control sample for on-the-spot checks carried out each year shall cover at least 5 % of all beneficiaries applying for rural development measures. For the measures provided for in Articles 28 and 29 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013, the control rate of 5 % shall be achieved at the level of the individual measure.
That control sample shall also represent at least 5 % of the beneficiaries of Article 28 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 that include equivalent practices as referred to in Article 43(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.
2. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, in the case of groups of persons as referred to in Articles 28 and 29 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013, each individual member of such groups may be considered as beneficiary for the purpose of calculation of the control rate laid down in paragraph 1.
3. For beneficiaries of multi-annual support granted in accordance with Articles 21(1)(a), 28, 29 and 34 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 or Article 36(a)(iv) and (v), (b)(i), (iii) and (v) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 involving payments exceeding five years, the Member States may decide, after the fifth year of payment, to check at least 2,5 % of those beneficiaries.
The first subparagraph shall apply to support granted under the third subparagraph of Article 28(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 after the fifth year of the payment for the relevant commitment.
4. Beneficiaries checked under paragraph 3 shall not be taken into account for the purpose of paragraph 1.
Control rate for animal aid schemes
1. For animal aid schemes, the control sample for on-the-spot checks carried out each year shall for each of the aid schemes cover at least 5 % of all beneficiaries applying for that respective aid scheme.
However, where the computerised database for animals does not offer the level of assurance and implementation necessary for the proper management of the aid scheme involved the percentage shall be 10 % for the respective aid scheme.
The control sample selected shall cover at least 5 % of all animals for which aid is applied for per aid scheme.
2. Where applicable, the control sample for on-the-spot checks carried out each year shall cover 10 % of other services, bodies or organisations that provide evidence to verify the compliance with the eligibility criteria, commitments and other obligations as referred to in Article 28(2).
Selection of the control sample
1. Applications or applicants found not to be admissible or not eligible for payment at the time of submission or after administrative checks shall not form part of the control population.
2. For the purposes of Articles 30 and 31, the sample selection shall be carried out as follows:
(a)
between 1 and 1,25 % of the beneficiaries applying for the basic payment scheme or the single area payment scheme in accordance with Chapter 1 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 shall be selected randomly from all beneficiaries applying for those schemes;
(b)
between 1 and 1,25 % of the control population for greening shall be selected randomly from all beneficiaries selected in accordance with point (a). Where necessary to reach that percentage, additional beneficiaries shall be selected randomly among the control population for greening;
(c)
the remaining number of beneficiaries in the control sample referred to in Article 31(1)(a) shall be selected on the basis of a risk analysis;
(d)
all beneficiaries selected in accordance with points (a) to (c) of this subparagraph may be considered as part of the control samples provided for in Article 30(b) to (e), (g) and (h). Where necessary to respect the minimum control rates, additional beneficiaries shall be selected randomly from their respective control populations;
(e)
all beneficiaries selected in accordance with points (a) to (d) of this subparagraph may be considered as part of the control sample provided for in Article 30(a). Where necessary to respect the minimum control rate, additional beneficiaries shall be selected randomly from all beneficiaries applying for the basic payment scheme or the single area payment scheme in accordance with Chapter 1 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;
(f)
the minimum number of beneficiaries referred to in Article 30(f) shall be selected randomly from all beneficiaries applying for the payment under the small farmers scheme in accordance with Title V of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;
(g)
the minimum number of beneficiaries referred to in Article 31(1)(b) shall be selected on the basis of a risk analysis from all beneficiaries qualifying for the greening payment who are exempted from both the crop diversification and the ecological focus area obligations by not meeting the thresholds referred to in Articles 44 and 46 of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 and who are not concerned by the obligations referred to in Article 45 of that Regulation;
(h)
between 20 % and 25 % of the minimum number of beneficiaries referred to in Article 31(1)(c), (d) and (h) shall be selected randomly from all beneficiaries selected in accordance with point (b) of this subparagraph. Where necessary to reach that percentage, additional beneficiaries shall be selected randomly from all beneficiaries selected in accordance with point (a) of this subparagraph. The remaining number of beneficiaries referred to in Article 31(1)(c), (d) and (h) shall be selected on the basis of a risk analysis from all beneficiaries selected in accordance with point (c) of this subparagraph. Where necessary to respect the minimum control rates, additional beneficiaries shall be selected on the basis of a risk analysis from their respective control populations;
(i)
between 20 % and 25 % of the minimum number of collective implementations referred to in Article 31(1)(e) shall be selected randomly from all collective implementations in accordance with Article 46(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013. The remaining number of collective implementations referred to in Article 31(1)(e) shall be selected on the basis of a risk analysis.
The on-the-spot check regarding the additional beneficiaries selected in accordance with points (d), (e) and (h) as well as the beneficiaries selected in accordance with points (f) and (g) may be limited to the aid scheme they have been selected for if the minimum control rates of the other aid schemes they applied for are already respected.
The on-the-spot check regarding the additional beneficiaries selected in accordance with Article 31(3) and in accordance with point (h) of the first subparagraph of this paragraph as well as the beneficiaries selected in accordance with point (i) of the first subparagraph of this paragraph may be limited to the greening practices they have been selected for if the minimum control rates of the other aid schemes and greening practices they are required to observe are already respected.
For the purposes of Article 31 Member States shall ensure representativeness of the control sample as regards the different practises.
3. For the purposes of Articles 32 and 33, first between 20 % and 25 % of the minimum number of beneficiaries to be subject to on-the-spot checks shall be selected randomly. The remaining number of beneficiaries to be subject to on-the-spot checks shall be selected on the basis of a risk analysis.
For the purposes of Article 32, Member States may, as a result of the risk analysis, select specific rural development measures which apply to the beneficiaries.
4. If the number of beneficiaries to be subject to on-the-spot checks exceeds the minimum number of beneficiaries referred to in Articles 30 to 33, the percentage of randomly selected beneficiaries in the additional sample shall not exceed 25 %.
5. The effectiveness of the risk analysis shall be assessed and updated on an annual basis as follows:
(a)
by establishing the relevance of each risk factor;
(b)
by comparing the results as regards the difference between the area declared and the area determined of the risk based and randomly selected sample referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 2; or by comparing the results as regards the difference between the animals declared and the animals determined of the risk based and randomly selected sample referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 2;
(c)
by taking into account the specific situation and, where appropriate, evolution of the risk factors’ relevance in the Member State;
(d)
by taking into account the nature of the non-compliance that prompt an increase of the control rate in accordance with Article 35.
6. The competent authority shall keep records of the reasons for the selection of each beneficiary for an on-the-spot check. The inspector carrying out the on-the-spot check shall be informed accordingly prior to the commencement of the on-the-spot check.
7. Where appropriate, a partial selection of the control sample may be made on the basis of available information before the final date referred to in Article 13. That provisional sample shall be completed when all relevant aid applications or payment claims are available.
Increase of the control rate
Where on-the-spot checks reveal any significant non-compliance in the context of a given aid scheme or support measure or in a region or part of a region, the competent authority shall appropriately increase the percentage of beneficiaries to be checked on-the-spot in the following year.
Reduction of the control rate
1. The control rates laid down in this Chapter may only be reduced in respect of aid schemes or support measures set out in this Article.
2. By way of derogation from Article 30(a), (b) and (f), Member States may, as regards the basic payment scheme, the single area payment scheme, the re-distributive payment and the small farmers scheme, decide to reduce the minimum level of on-the-spot checks carried out each year per scheme to 3 %.
The first subparagraph shall only apply if a system of spatial intersection of all aid applications with the identification system for agricultural parcels is in place in accordance with Article 17(2) and if cross-checks are carried out on all aid applications to prevent double claiming of the same area during the year preceding the application of that subparagraph.
In respect of claim years 2015 and 2016 the rate of errors found in the random sample checked on the spot shall not exceed 2 % in the preceding two financial years. That rate of errors shall be certified by the Member State in accordance with the methodology drawn up at Union level.
3. By way of derogation from Article 30(a), (b) and (f), Member States may, as regards the basic payment scheme, the single area payment scheme, the re-distributive payment and the small farmers scheme, decide to reduce the control sample to the sample selected in accordance with point (a) of the first subparagraph of Article 34(2) if checks based on the ortho-images used for the update of the identification system for agricultural parcels referred to in Article 70 of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 are carried out.
The first subparagraph shall only apply if Member States systematically update the identification system for agricultural parcels and check all beneficiaries in the entire area covered by it within a period of maximum three years, covering per year at least 25 % of the eligible hectares recorded in the identification system for agricultural parcels. However, that minimum coverage percentage per year shall not apply to Member States with less than 150 000 eligible hectares recorded in the identification system for agricultural parcels.
Before applying the first subparagraph, Member States shall have made a complete update of the identification system for agricultural parcels concerned within the previous three years.
The ortho-images used for the update shall not be older than 15 months at the date of their use for the purpose of the update of the identification system for agricultural parcels.
The quality of the identification system for agricultural parcels as assessed in accordance with Article 6 of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 640/2014 during the two years preceding the application of the first subparagraph shall be sufficient to ensure effective verification of the conditions under which aid is granted.
The decision referred to in the first subparagraph may be taken at national level or regional level. For the purposes of this subparagraph, a region shall be comprised of the whole area covered by one or more autonomous identification systems for agricultural parcels.
The third subparagraph of paragraph 2 shall apply mutatis mutandis .
4. By way of derogation from Article 32(1), Member States may decide to reduce the minimum level of on-the-spot checks carried out each calendar year to 3 % of the beneficiaries applying for rural development measures in the scope of the integrated system.
However, the first subparagraph shall not apply in relation to beneficiaries that include equivalent practices as referred to in Article 43(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.
5. Paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 shall only apply if the general conditions for reducing the minimum level of on-the-spot checks laid down by the Commission in accordance with Article 62(2)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 are fulfilled. Where any of those conditions or the conditions laid down in paragraphs 2 or 3 of this Article are no longer met, Member States shall immediately revoke their decision to reduce the minimum level of on-the-spot checks and shall apply the minimum level of on-the-spot checks provided for in Article 30(a), (b) and (f) and/or Article 32 as of the following claim year for the aid schemes or support measures concerned.
6. By way of derogation from Article 30(g), where a Member State introduces a system of prior approval for the cultivation of hemp, the minimum level of on-the-spot checks may be reduced to 20 % of the areas declared for the production of hemp as referred to in Article 32(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.
In that case, the Member State shall notify the Commission of its detailed rules and conditions linked to its system of prior approval the year before the application of the reduced control rate. Any amendments to those detailed rules or conditions shall be notified to the Commission without undue delay.
Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
