Welsh Cross Compliance Changes

The Welsh Government has announced changes to the Cross Compliance rules which will be introduced from 1^st January 2015.  The main amendments include:

• There will be a ban on the use of sprays within 2m of a watercourse, unless a derogation has been obtained to control non-native species
• To prevent soil erosion over the winter months, simply leaving a rough surface between harvest and 1^st March will no longer be allowed.  The sowing of a cover crop, or other measures (no details are given yet) will be required.
• The keeping of a Soil Assessment Record will no longer be required, but there will still be rules to ensure soilquality, structure etc is maintained
• It will be possible to cultivate within 1m of stone walls, stone faced banks and slate fences, but the requirement not to cultivate within 1m of hedges, earth banks and water courses remains in place and also includes parcels less than two hectares
• Penalties will be applied to the Basic Payment where a TB test is overdue by one or more days
• The control of invasive species will be included in the minimum agricultural activity requirements to be eligible for the Basic Payment Scheme
• Biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest will be protected under the Permanent Grassland element of Greening
• The Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (Wales) Regulations 2010 will be incorporated into the SMR applying only to land within a NVZ
• There will also be some tidying up and removals; GAEC B (overgrazing) will be in the new GAEC 5 and SMR 3 (sewage sludge) and SMRs 13-15 (control of certain animal diseases; F&M and Blue Tongue) are being removed from the Cross Compliance requirements.

Further details will be in the Cross Compliance factsheet packs which will be sent to claimants shortly.