Cross compliance

Application of the system of cross compliance is one of the most important results of the EU Common Agricultural Policy reform of 2003, influencing the amount of agricultural producer support. Cross compliance principles have been provided in Articles 4–6 and Annexes II and III of Council Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 and in § 23–26 of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy Implementation Act.

With cross compliance, full payment of agricultural subsidies is ensured only to those agricultural producers who meet the requirements proceeding from different legal acts and maintain agricultural land in good agricultural and environmental condition.

Cross compliance includes good agricultural and environmental condition (GAEC)  and statutory management requirements (SMR). The EU Member States must also ensure maintenance of permanent pasture.

GAEC requirements have been granted approval by Regulation No 11 of the Minister of Agriculture, 17 February 2010, Good agricultural and environmental condition, detailed procedure for the fulfilment of the commitment to maintain permanent pasture, bases and procedure for the transfer of the commitment to maintain permanent pasture and detailed procedure for the application of the measures necessary for the maintenance of permanent pasture

Cross compliance must be respected by applicants applying for the following subsidies:

• Direct payments:

–    Single Area Payment Scheme (SAPS),

–    specific market support measure in the dairy sector.

• Estonian Rural Development Plan (RDP) 2007–2013 support payments:

–    support for less-favoured areas;

–    agri-environmental support:

• support for environmentally friendly management,
• support for organic farming,
• support for keeping animals of local endangered breeds,
• support for growing plants of local varieties and
• support for the maintenance of semi-natural habitats;

–    Natura 2000 support for agricultural land;

–    Natura 2000 support for private forest land;

–    support for animal grazing.

Requirements apply to the agricultural activity of agricultural producer or to the agricultural land of agricultural holding, regardless of whether support is applied for with respect to this land or not.

Under the system of cross compliance, at least 1% of applicants for direct payments and 1% of applicants for the RDP 2007–2013 supports are spot-checked.
 

     Booklet Cross compliance 2010  

Contact in Ministry:

Madli Karjatse
Agri-Environmental Bureau, Chief Specialist
Rural Development Department
Ministry of Agriculture of Estonia
madli dot karjatse at agri dot ee
phone + 372 6256 514
fax +372 6256 200