Farmers to meet certain requirements to qualify for payments under new CAP

The EU Agriculture Commissioner said that farmers will have to have a minimum of activity on their lands to qualify for payments under the new Common Agriculture Policy.

Mr. Dacian Ciolos said it will be up to member States to determine what farming activities are sufficient enough to meet the criteria.

He said what constitutes for farming in one country may not apply in another.

Speaking in Brussels today Commissioner Ciolos said a combination of criteria for payments will act as a boost for small farmers across the EU.

"This combination is a new instrument in order to give a new dynamic to some farms and some farmers who were penalised in the past," he said.