Authorisation of agricultural land for cotton production
The Member States referred to in Article 36 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 shall establish, in their CAP Strategic Plans, objective criteria for the authorisation of agricultural land pursuant to Article 37(3) of that Regulation.
Those criteria shall be based on one or more of the following:
(a)
the agricultural economy of those regions where cotton is a major crop;
(b)
the soil and climate in the areas in question;
(c)
the management of irrigation water;
(d)
rotation systems and cultivation methods likely to respect the environment.
Authorisation of varieties for sowing
The Member States referred to in Article 36 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 shall set out, in their CAP Strategy Plans, which varieties, registered in the Common Catalogue of Varieties of Agricultural Plant Species provided for in Directive 2002/53/EC and adapted to their market needs, are authorised for sowing.
Additional conditions for receiving the crop-specific payment for cotton
For the crop-specific payments for cotton referred to in Article 37(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, the Member States referred to in Article 36 of that Regulation shall set out, in their CAP Strategy Plans, a minimum plant density on the sown area fixed on the basis of the soil and weather conditions and, where appropriate, specific regional characteristics.
Approval of interbranch organisations
1. The approval of an interbranch organisation in the sense of Article 39(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 shall be granted by the Member State where the ginners are established and for a period of one year starting in due time before the sowing season of that year, provided that the organisation fulfills the following criteria:
(a)
it covers a total area of at least 4 000 ha that meet authorisation criteria as referred to in Article 6 of this Regulation;
(b)
it has adopted internal operating rules, in particular on membership conditions and fees, in accordance with Union and national rules.
2. Where it is found that an approved interbranch organisation no longer fulfils the criteria for approval provided for in paragraph 1, the Member State that granted the approval shall withdraw the approval, unless the non-compliance is remedied within a deadline to be fixed by the Member State in the withdrawal decision. The competent authority of the responsible Member State shall notify the interbranch organisation of its intention to withdraw an approval, together with the reasons for the withdrawal, in advance. It shall grant the interbranch organisation the opportunity to submit its observations within a period specified in the notification of the planned withdrawal.
Farmers who are members of an approved interbranch organisation whose approval is withdrawn in accordance with the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall not be eligible to receive the increase of the crop-specific payment for cotton pursuant to Article 40(2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115.
Obligations for farmers producing cotton
1. A farmer shall not be a member of more than one approved interbranch organisation referred to in Article 39(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115.
2. A farmer who is a member of an approved interbranch organisation shall deliver cotton only to a ginner belonging to that same organisation.
3. The participation of farmers in an approved interbranch organisation shall be the result of voluntary membership.
Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
