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Environmental Standards for Farming - Consultation on proposed changes to standards in cross compliance Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) and related measures in England

Scope of the consultation

Topic of this consultation

The consultation seeks views on a number of proposed changes to environmental standards for farming in England, known as Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) standards in cross compliance, and related measures including links to options in Environmental Stewardship. This follows changes to the EU rules as part of the review of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP Health Check).

Scope of this consultation

The proposed changes should secure or increase the level of public benefit, particularly by recapturing the environmental benefits of set-aside, whilst minimising impact on farmers including by simplifying some existing cross compliance standards in line with stakeholder feedback and analysis of effectiveness. The proposals can be broken down into seven main items and this consultation is structured accordingly:

  • Introduction of possible measures to recapture the environmental benefits of set-aside following its abolition –an approach combining  cross compliance and incentive-based elements and a purely voluntary approach building on incentives - are considered
  • Obligation on all Member States to introduce a new standard  on buffer strips for protecting  water quality – a series of options are suggested
  • Simplification of four existing GAEC standards on soils into the revised Soil Protection Review (SPR) to help farmers manage risks to their soils
  • New  standard applying England’s domestic abstraction licensing scheme as part of cross compliance
  • Changes to GAEC 12, ’Agricultural land not in agricultural production’, giving farmers additional flexibility
  • Changes to GAEC 14 standard, ‘Protection of hedgerows and watercourses’, clarifying the rules for maintaining hedge banks

Further guidance to increase understanding of cross compliance standards.

Geographic scope

England only

Impact Assessment

A consultation stage Impact Assessment and supporting reports have been published alongside this consultation and are available at: www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/gaec/index.htm

Evidence gathering is underway for the final Impact Assessment, which will be published in summer 2009 after the consultation.

Basic information

Duration

12 weeks. Launched 4th March. Ending 27th May.

Enquiries

Enquiries about the content or scope of the consultation:
Sustainable Farm Management Team
Defra
Area 5C, 9 Millbank
c/o 17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR
Telephone: 0207 238 2012
Email: GAEC.Consultation@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Comments about the consultation process:
Marjorie Addo
Consultation Co-ordinator
Defra
Area 7C Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR

Email: consultation.coordinator@defra.gsi.gov.uk

How to respond

Where possible please respond by email to:

GAEC.Consultation@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Postal Address:
Sustainable Farm Management Team
Defra
Area 5C, 9 Millbank
c/o 17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR

Additional ways to become involved

The consultation will be a written process.

After the consultation

At the end of the consultation copies of all responses, unless marked confidential, will be made available to the public, on request, in the Defra Library (Information Resource Centre).
Defra
Information Resource Centre
Lower Ground Floor
Ergon House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR
0207 238 6575
defra.library@defra.gsi.gov.uk

A Summary of Responses will be published on the Defra website after the consultation has closed and responses have been considered.

Background

Getting to this stage

The recent review of CAP (Health Check) revised the EU legislation, including the cross compliance framework, thus requiring changes to domestic cross compliance rules. Meanwhile the removal of set-aside through the Health Check makes it necessary to introduce measures to recapture the environmental benefits of set-aside. This also presents an opportunity to rationalise and simplify existing standards where possible. Proposals have been developed in discussion  with key stakeholders over the last 18 months.

Previous engagement

Since autumn 2007 stakeholders have been involved in developing proposals to recapture the environmental benefits of set-aside:

  • Sir Don Curry’s High Level Set-Aside Group (leaders of NFU, CLA, RSPB, EA and NE), was convened to oversee monitoring of the impact of the 0% set-aside rate and consider ways of recapturing the environmental benefits of set-aside.  Work has been taken forward to develop a possible approach (Option A) combining cross compliance and incentive-based measures on the basis of the Group’s recommendations to the Secretary of State in their April and July 2008 reports.
  • Findings of Sir Don’s Group, survey results and scientific research made publicly available.
  • Natural England and the Rural Payments Agency have involved stakeholders in their work on implementation alternatives for Option A.
  • Ministers’ meetings with stakeholders often featured recapturing the benefits of set-aside.
  • Officials’ meetings with industry bodies and environmental NGOs.
  • Industry leading the development of a voluntary approach, in collaboration with Defra and its agencies.   

Stakeholder meetings were held in October and November 2008 to inform the development of other proposed changes to cross compliance.

Page published: 4 March 2009