The Government's decision to scrap complex EU greening rules for next year's harvest welcomed by farming and rural organisations.

The Government’s announcement that it will be scrapping the complex “greening” rules attached to key payments for the agricultural industry from next year has been welcomed by farming leaders.
Environment Minister George Eustice announced the greening rules would be scrapped for 2021Environment Minister George Eustice announced the greening rules would be scrapped for 2021
Environment Minister George Eustice announced the greening rules would be scrapped for 2021

Environment Secretary George Eustice said the EU legacy scheme which had complex rules around crop diversification, Ecological Focus Areas and greening permanent grassland had “added little” to environmental efforts and would not be part of the scheme next year.

The announcement comes as part of the Government’s plans to simplify the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) as it transitions over to the Environment Land Management Scheme (ELMS) which will replace it.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Taking place over the next seven years, the new ELM scheme is expected to be fully rolled out in late 2024.

The CLA has welcomed the decision to drop EU greening rules.The CLA has welcomed the decision to drop EU greening rules.
The CLA has welcomed the decision to drop EU greening rules.

The scheme will see farmers paid for providing “public goods” such as tree and hedge planting, river management and wildlife habitats.

“We believe that farmers will benefit from this reduced bureaucratic burden as we begin the move towards our new Environmental Land Management scheme which will deliver greater benefits for the environment,” Mr Eustice said.

The NFU’s Vice President, Tom Bradshaw, said he was hopeful the move would remove some of the complexities farmers face in interacting with multiple scheme rules.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The NFU has been seeking clarification of the greening rules for the 2021 scheme for many months,” he said. “Particularly around the position on the crop diversification rules, so our members can plan for harvest 2021.”

The greening requirements, which were attached to the EU subsidies under the Common Agricultural Policy, have meant farmers need to carry out specified practices to qualify for additional payments.

Announcing the change, Mr Eustice said historically these requirements have delivered little for the environment and referenced this being documented in the European Court of Auditors 2017 Special Report on Greening.

Mark Bridgeman, CLA President agreed saying the move was "encouraging news" for farmers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"For too long we have had to accept well-intentioned but impractical requirements that have not delivered for the environment. The move to a system of payments for public goods is an opportunity to change the relationship between farmers and government. It must provide real environmental delivery that works with our varied farming systems. The flagship ELM scheme in England has the potential to become a world-leading land management policy.

Mr Bradshaw said although the NFU has never been critical of the environmental intent of the crop diversification requirements, it had always been a concern

that the scheme has never been applied “with the flexibility needed to suit varying weather and farming situations in Britain”.

But Mr Bradshaw said: “At the same time, I am confident that farmers will use experiences of greening to develop their existing approaches to land management, and build on their invaluable role working to protect and enhance the environment as we prepare for the introduction of a new domestic agricultural policy and Environmental Land Management Schemes.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The change will not affect the overall payment received by each farmer as the money will instead be added to farmers’ entitlements under BPS.

A consultation on the new ELM scheme has been running since February and closes on Friday, July 31 with a final online seminar held on Thursday evening (July 30).

“We will be setting out more detail in the autumn on how we will ensure a smooth transition for our farmers, as they move towards our new, fairer agricultural system, which will reward them for the hard work to protect our environment,” said Mr Eustice.