New conditionality standards for BISS
Under GAEC 2, farmers can maintain and repair existing drains but must comply with national regulations for new drainage, reseeding, or deep ploughing in designated areas.
Two new conditionality standards, Social Conditionality and GAEC 2 - Protection of Wetlands and Peatlands, are set to form part of compliance checks and penalties from 2025 under the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027.
Social Conditionality does not add any additional requirements for farmers, but they will face penalties to their payments if they are found in breach of existing laws on workplace safety, employment standards, or machinery operation.
The Department has said it will not conduct additional inspections and will rely on cross-reporting from the Workplace Relations Commission and the Health and Safety Authority for enforcement.
However, Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association president Denis Drennan said it was a case of "double jeopardy", which would see farmers fined twice for the same breach.
The new rules mean farmers who breach employment rules will now receive penalties both on their direct payments as well as from the WRC and the HSA.
“We continuously hear politicians telling us that they are going to simplify the system and eliminate duplication. If that’s the case, why have we ended up with this kind of duplication into an already overly complex system?" asked Mr Drennan.
"The WRC and HSA have specific important responsibilities under legislation, and they have a job to do. Why is the Department move into these obviously separate areas?” he added.
Under GAEC 2, farmers can maintain and repair existing drains but must comply with national regulations for new drainage, reseeding, or deep ploughing in designated areas.
In these areas, deep ploughing (more than 30cm) is not allowed, while shallow ploughing (under 30cm) is permitted annually for arable crops and once every four years for grassland.
The GAEC 2 standard is subject to approval by the European Commission. Once approved, DAFM will write to all affected farmers.
Applications for the 2025 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS), Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS), Eco-Schemes, and the other related schemes have now opened, with a closing date of May 15, 2025.
