From January 2021, farmers must follow cross compliance rules if they claim the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), a Stewardship scheme or the English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS). The rules set out in this guide apply for the whole of 2021 and must be met throughout the year.
What’s new in 2021?
Although there are no changes to the rules regarding cross compliance itself, there are some changes to the way cross compliance is run that could benefit farmers:
- A simplified cross compliance guide
- All cross compliance rules must be complied with in order to receive all rural payments
- A list of records required by the inspector will be forwarded before any inspection
- Improvements to the inspection experience
- The level of a penalty will be more appropriate to the severity of a non-compliance through the use of ‘verifiable standards’
- Greater use of Early Warning System letters instead of always applying a penalty
For more information on Cross Compliance 2021 please contact us on 01981 590514 or visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cross-compliance-2021#contents