Ref. Ares(2015)381275 - 30/01/2015
Ref. Ares(2019)6903599 - 07/11/2019
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Directorate D. Direct support
D.2. Greening, cross-compliance and POSEI
Brussels,
NOTE FOR THE FILE
Subhect:
Meeting DG AGRI/Danish Agricultural and Food Council (DAFC)
Participant:
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The Danish Agriculture & Food Council (DAFC) represents the farming and food
industry of Denmark including businesses, trade and farmers’ associations. A short
meeting with DG AGRI on 27/01/2015 was requested by the DAFC to discuss 4 greening
issues. The outcome is the following:
Increase of the EFA weighting factor for catch crops. DAFC is of the opinion that the
environmental benefit of catch crops is higher than the one reflected in Annex X of
R1307/2013. An academic study was handed over to support this request. DG AGRI
representatives specified that the factors are laid down in an Annex of the basic act,
which may be modified by a delegated act. They reminded that the discussion on the
fixing of these factors had a political dimension. They referred also to the future reviews
of the greening, in particular the 2017 EFA report.
Withdrawal of the requirement to have a mixture of species for catch crops counting for
EFA. DAFC is of the opinion that this requirement is not justified and makes the controls
more difficult, since it cannot be checked by remote sensing. DG AGRI representatives
reminded the biodiversity objective of EFA and the need to adapt the usual practices of
catch crops (most notably under the Nitrates Directive) to serve the biodiversity
objective.
Control of all greening requirements during the same inspection visit: DG AGRI
representatives said that the aim is that the number of control visits on the farm should be
limited to the extent possible. However, in cases where it is not possible to verify the
fulfilment of the greening requirements in one visit (e.g. catch crops), which depends
also on MS choices, an additional visit to the farm will be necessary. It was reminded
that controls by remote sensing are still possible but they sometimes need to be followed
up by rapid field visits, which is the usual practice. In this case the burden for farmers is
very limited.
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË - Tel. +32 22991111
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As concerns the verification of the fulfilment of the requirement on crop diversification
DAFC suggested a more flexible approach towards the type of accepted evidence. DG
AGRI representatives explained that it is not possible to accept evidence which does not
show a clear link between the crop and the field, e.g. invoices for seeds, which may
prove the intention of the farmer to saw that certain seed but not prove that the crop has
actually been on a field. It was also recalled that some form of flexibility already exists
with the possibility to control after harvest on the basis of crop residues.
DAFC gave a copy of a memo (attached) which was forwarded to the cabinet, on these
issues and other simplification proposals in view of a meeting planned with the
Commissioner on 05/02/2015.
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Annex: Memo on simplification proposals from DAFC
[Out of scope]
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