Rural development delay continues
But Ireland’s programme was not included — and a go-ahead for Ireland’s rural schemes until 2020 looks unlikely until May, at the earliest.
The European Commission expects to adopt a further 34 programmes in May, according to EU Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan.
The delay leaves Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney depending on the Commission providing letters of comfort to member states whose programmes have been agreed in principle, but which await full formal and legal adoption.
Mr Coveney has said letters of comfort will enable him to open the €1.4 billion GLAS agri-environment scheme between the middle and the end of February, with other schemes opening about one month later.
This timetable would allow farmers enter GLAS in October, and get payments for the last three months of the year.
The other important multi-annual farm schemes include the beef data and genomics programme, farm improvement grants, support for collaborative farming, discussion groups, and LEADER grants.
Nine Rural Development Programmes were cleared in December, and last week’s adoptions brought the number of approved RDPs up to 27 (out of 118 programmes across the EU).
The 118 programmes will be backed by €99.6bn of EU funding over the 2014-2020 period, plus co-funding from national, regional and private finance.
