2116 as regards good agricultural and environmental condition standards, schemes for climate, environment and animal welfare, amendments to CAP Strategic Plans, review of CAP Strategic Plans and exemptions from controls and penalties - Main contents

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dossier	COM(2024)139 - Amendment of Regulations (EU) 2021/2115 and (EU) 2021/2116 as regards good agricultural and environmental condition ...
document	COM(2024)139
date	May 14, 2024

ANNEX

Annex III to Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 is amended as follows:

(1)

the entry for ‘GAEC 6’ is replaced by the following:

‘GAEC 6

Minimum soil cover to avoid bare soil in periods that are most sensitive, as determined by Member States (*1).

Protection of soils in periods that are most sensitive

(2)

the entry for GAEC 7 is replaced by the following:

‘GAEC 7

Crop rotation in arable land, except for crops growing under water. Member States may in addition decide to allow farmers and other beneficiaries to fulfil this standard with crop diversification (*2).

Preserving the soil potential

(3)

the entry for ‘GAEC 8’ is replaced by the following:

‘GAEC 8

—	Retention of landscape features

—	Ban on cutting hedges and trees during the bird breeding and rearing season

—	As an option, measures for avoiding invasive plant species

Maintenance of non-productive features to improve on-farm biodiversity’

(*1) Member States may in particular take into account the short vegetation period resulting from the length and severity of the winter period in the regions concerned.’;

(*2) Rotation shall consist of a change of crop at land parcel level (except in the cases of multiannual crops, grasses and other herbaceous forage, and land lying fallow), including the appropriately managed secondary crops.

On the basis of diversity of farming methods and agro-climatic conditions, Member States may authorise in the regions concerned other practices of enhanced crop rotation with leguminous crops or crop diversification which aim at improving and preserving the soil potential in line with the objectives of this GAEC standard.

When defining crop diversification requirements, Member States shall respect the following minimum requirements:

(a)	where the size of arable land of a holding is between 10 and 30 ha, crop diversification shall consist of cultivation of arable land of a holding with at least two different crops on that arable land; the main crop shall not cover more than 75 % of that arable land;

(b)

where the size of arable land of a holding is more than 30 ha, crop diversification shall consist of cultivation of arable land of a holding with at least three different crops on that arable land; the main crop shall not cover more than 75 % of that arable land and the two main crops together shall not cover more than 95 % of that arable land.

Member States may exempt from the obligations under this standard holdings:

(a)	where more than 75 % of the arable land is used for the production of grasses or other herbaceous forage, is land lying fallow, is used for cultivation of leguminous crops, or is subject to a combination of those uses;

(b)

where more than 75 % of the eligible agricultural area is permanent grassland, is used for the production of grasses or other herbaceous forage or for the cultivation of crops under water either for a significant part of the year or for a significant part of the crop cycle, or is subject to a combination of those uses; or

(c)	with a size of arable land up to 10 ha.

Member States may introduce a maximum limit of area covered with a single crop to prevent large monocultures.

Farmers certified in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/848 shall be deemed to comply with this GAEC standard.’;

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1468/oj

ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)