Extended deadlines for CAP payment applications

Farmers, in order to benefit from support under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), can apply for funds. The application campaign for direct and area payments for 2024 is currently underway. The originally scheduled deadlines for applications for direct payments, transitional national support, area-based measures under Pillar II of the CAP and under the Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy 2023-2027 have been extended due to requests from the agricultural community.

Applications for financial assistance under the Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy 2023-2027 (CAP SP) can now be submitted until July 1 of this year. By July 16, 2024. The deadlines for applying for direct payments, transitional national support and for area-based measures under Pillar II of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) have been extended.

New deadlines for CAP payment applications

Farmers can apply for support under direct payments, transitional national support or area-based measures of the second pillar of the CAP until July 16, 2024. If the application is delivered at a later date, i.e. Through July 26, 2024. (25 calendar days after July 1), a 1 percent reduction in payments will be applied. the amount due for each working day of delay.

The legal basis in this case is the Ordinance of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development on setting a longer deadline for submitting applications for financial assistance under the 2023-2027 Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy and for submitting amendments to these applications in 2024.

Exclusions under new forms of direct payments

The new deadlines do not apply to applications for new forms of direct payments, i.e. Small Farm Payments and payments under the ecoscheme Land excluded from production.

In this regard, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, separate regulations will be prepared, according to which it is planned that by August 31, 2024 it will be possible to apply for the Small Farm Payment and amend the application (to apply for payment under the new ecoscheme Land excluded from production).

New payments

The new ecoscheme Land taken out of production concerns an additional payment for voluntary fallowing of agricultural land. In this regard, separate regulations will indicate that requesting payment will be possible until August 31, 2024.

Farmers who wish to receive the Small Farm Payment and the payment under the new ecoscheme must first submit a standard application under the current rules by the original deadline indicated. In practice, this means that the interested party fills out the form for direct payments for 2024. via the eWniosekPlus application, available on the Electronic Services Platform. Subsequently, by August 31 of this year, ARMA will allow the submission of additional documents, which will likely be a declaration on the part of the farmer that he or she wants to benefit from such a payment.

Direct subsidies

Direct payments are a form of financial support and are available to farmers who are actively working in their sector. To be eligible for subsidies, applicants must be engaged in agricultural activities and have agricultural land of at least 1 hectare. The land for which the farmer wishes to receive funding should be in his possession on May 31, 2024.

Financial support in the form of direct payments is also available to farmers who own less than 1 hectare of agricultural land, but provided additional criteria are met. They must meet the conditions for livestock payments, and the total amount of direct payments they would receive is at least 200 euros.

ARMA has released an updated call schedule for applications

ARMA has updated the schedule of planned 2024. Calls for proposals under the 2023-2027 Strategic Plan for the CAP. It lists new dates for the call for applications for the Young Farmer’s Bonus and Small Farm Development. The first will be held from June 19 to August 19, 2024, and the second from July 25 to August 22, 2024.