NI government relaxes cross-compliance penalty regime

Changes to the cross-compliance penalty regime aim to create flexibility and a simplified scheme for NI farmers, DAERA said
Changes to the cross-compliance penalty regime aim to create flexibility and a simplified scheme for NI farmers, DAERA said

Changes that will relax Northern Ireland's cross-compliance penalty regime will come into effect later this month, the Department of Agriculture (DAERA) has confirmed.

The move aims to ensure fairness is applied and that more appropriate financial penalties are given in the event of repeated negligent breaches.

Under the exiting arrangements, certain repeated negligent breaches can be considered intentional, attracting very high financial penalties.

But the new regime means that these repeated negligent penalties will be capped at 15%.

Northern Ireland's farming minister, Edwin Poots said this was a "much fairer approach to our hard-working farmers".

"This is only possible because we have left the European Union and can now make decisions to suit local needs," he added.

President of the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU), David Brown welcomed the changes, adding that the union 'never agreed' with the existing regime.

"This approach was totally unfair as many farmers get caught up in the busyness of running the farm business, bringing with it significant pressure, and did not understand the consequences of doing something the wrong way.

"The regime as it was, was totally rigid and the information and standards that were expected of farmers was not communicated clearly by DAERA."

Mr Brown said the UFU 'fully agrees' that repeat and intentional serious offences must be punished, but too many farmers were being treated unfairly.

"They were being handed heavy penalties for breaches that were committed innocently as they went about their day-to-day work with no awareness of the implications," he said.

The new legislation will come into effect from 24 October 2022, DAERA confirmed.