Business - M. Pierre BASCOU PIERRE BASCOU CONSULTANT - PBC60 Rue des Vignoles 75020 PARISRegistration 15-11-2004 Business activities of advertising agencies 7311Z Category Marketing RCS Paris B 479 427 213 Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source I thank the witnesses for their appearance before us this morning. On the new CAP programme, I welcome the inclusion of funding for young farmers and for greening measures. I ask Mr. Haniotis to give an outline of what the Commissions expects member states to do to provide additional supports for marginal land and, in particular, for farming land that is constrained, such as high nature value farm land in the north west corner of Ireland. What additional supports should be earmarked by national governments for such land, where farming activity is constrained by virtue of Natura designations such as NHA, SPA or SAC? Response Mr. Pierre Bascou: The first question concerned the decisions of member states to provide additional support to specific areas, most notably high nature value farm land. As Mr. Haniotis mentioned in his opening statement, member states have been given much more flexibility in terms of granting support to specific regions or for specific types of farmers, for example, young farmers. There is also the possibility of granting different types of direct payment. With the new architecture of direct payment, there is a possibility of better targeting certain types of farmers, regions or farming. There is also Pillar 2. Unfortunately, right now we do not have a clear idea about the work member states will do. If I refer to the direct payment scheme, member states must notify the Commission on the decision regarding the allocation of the funding under the direct payments scheme, in particular how they will implement greening and how they will allocate funding to the voluntary support system to the areas of natural constraint. This must be done by 1 August 2014. I think members states will notify the Commission of their decisions by 1 August. We are also in the process of examining further measures related to the Pillar 2, such as voluntary measures that the members states can allocate certain types of support for Natura 2000 and for those who farm what we term areas of natural constraint. It is complementary to direct payment. We are also in the process of examining the proposals sent by member states in the context of the programme. At this stage it is difficult to give Senator Ó Domhnaill a proper answer. However, I would like to mention that flexibility is given and in addition the portfolio policy instrument is much broader now than it has been in the past in order to target and grant specific support in areas where production conditions are more difficult. Many of the new measures are on a voluntary basis and it is left up to member states to decide how to target support and whether they want to target these regions or not. An element which is possible, but in my view from what we have heard should not be implemented in Ireland, is also to implement the EU direct payments scheme. That means creating different regions with a specific level of support. From what we have heard, this may not be the chosen path, but there are other measures within the direct payment and the Pillar 2 that will enable us to target specific regions but so far nothing officially has been sent in terms of a notification, either through Pillar 1 or Pillar 2. We will have a much better idea at the end of the summer following notification on 1 August and full information concerning the rural development programme, which most likely will be finalised at the end of 2014.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 20:48:40 +0000
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