Common agricultural policy (CAP): support schemes for farmers

PURPOSE: to clarify two aspects of interpretation found in Council Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 establishing common rules for direct support schemes for farmers under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers, and to amend it accordingly.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Regulation (EC) No 1250/2009 amending Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 establishing common rules for direct support schemes for farmers under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers.

CONTENT: the Council adopted a regulation clarifying certain aspects of the CAP "Health check" Direct payments regulation 73/2009 adopted in January 2009. These are mainly technical alignments needed to ensure the smooth implementation of the new Health Check rules. They include for example adjustments to ensure consistency of approach in the implementation of the farm payment rules in certain vulnerable sectors (sheepmeat, goatmeat, beef and veal) as well as the reinstatement of a rule from the previous regulation and omitted from the Health Check whereby farmers should not be able to benefit from a windfall profit of direct payments.

Further to the Commission's report to Council on the dairy market situation 2009 (see COM(2009)0385), the Council has also decided to extend the deadline for member states who, under certain conditions, wish to grant specific support for 2010 to farmers in the dairy sector.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 22/12/2009.