Farming Regulation - england
A summary of the regulatory standards you need to comply with in England from 2024.
Although cross compliance ended in England on 31st December 2023, those who are farming will still have to comply with regulatory standards on the environment, animal and plant health, and animal welfare. These regulatory standards sit under domestic (UK and England) legislation and regulation, as well as some retained European legislation. Compliance will be monitored by the existing statutory bodies and regulated in a fair, proportionate and consistent way.
The table below shows the alignment between the previous Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAECs) and Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs) under cross compliance, with the different pieces of underlying legislation, regulation or order that contain these requirements and continue to apply from 2024.
Previous GAEC | Underlying Legislation that contains specific requirements |
GAEC 1: Establishment of buffer strips along watercourses | The Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution Regulations 2018 Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (England) Regulations 2010 |
| GAEC 2: Water Abstraction | Water Resources Act 1991 |
| GAEC 3: Groundwater | The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 |
| GAEC 4: Providing minimum soil cover | There is no directly corresponding legislation providing for a minimum soil cover, however the Farming Rules for Water set out generalised soil cover and erosion measures where it may prevent agricultural diffuse pollution. |
| GAEC 5: Minimising soil erosion | The Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018 |
| GAEC 6: Maintaining the level of organic matter in soil | The Crop Residues (Burning) Regulations 1993 The Heather and Grass Burning (England) Regulations 2007 The Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (England) (No 2) Regulations 2006 The Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999 |
| GAEC 7a: Boundaries | The Hedgerows Regulations 1997 The Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 |
| GAEC 7b: Public Rights of Way | The Highways Act 1980 Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 |
| GAEC 7c: Trees | The Forestry Act 1967 The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 |
| GAEC 7d: Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) | The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 |
| GAEC 7e: Monuments | The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 |
Previous SMR | Underlying Legislation that contains specific requirements |
| SMR1: Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) | The Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018 Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2015 |
| SMR 2: Wild Birds | The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 |
SMR 3: Habitats and Species | The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulation 2017 |
| SMR 4: Food and feed law | UK Legislation: Animals and Animal Products (Examination for Residues and Maximum Residue Limits) (England and Scotland) Regulations 2015 Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 The Tuberculosis (England) Order 2014 Enforcement powers provided by: The Animal Feed (Composition, Marketing and Use) (England) Regulations 2015 The Animal Feed (Hygiene, Sampling etc. and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2015 The Animal Feed (England) Regulations 2010 Pesticides: Pesticides in food | Food Standards Agency Milk: Dairy registration and inspections | Food Standards Agency milk-producer-guide-v4.pdf (food.gov.uk) Due to trading agreements with the EU, various EU rules also still apply to products for export: Regulation 852/2004 | Regulation, 853/2004 | Regulation 854/2004 | Regulation 852/853/854 – 2004 | Regulation 1107/2009 Animal Feed Regulations: 183/2005 (feed hygiene) | 767/2009 (placing on the market and use of feed) | 1831/2003 (feed additives) | DIRECTIVE 2002/32/EC (undesirable substances in animal feed) |
| SMR 5: Restrictions on the use of substances having hormonal or thyrostatic action and beta-agonists in farm animals | The Animals and Animal Products (Examination for Residues and Maximum Residue Limits) (England and Scotland) Regulations 2015 |
| SMR 6: Pig identification and registration | Pigs (Records, Identification and Movement) Order 2011 |
| SMR 7: Cattle identification and registration | The Cattle Identification Regulations 2007 |
| SMR 8: Sheep and goat identification | Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movement) (England) Order 2009 |
| SMR 9: Prevention and control of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) | TSE (England) Regulations 2010 |
| SMR 10: Plant Protection Products (PPPs) | The Food and Environmental Protection Act 1985Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulation 2012 |
| SMR 11: Welfare of calves | The Animal Welfare Act 2006 The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) Regulations 2007 |
| SMR 12: Welfare of pigs | The Animal Welfare Act 2006 The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) Regulations 2007 |
| SMR 13: Welfare of animals | The Animal Welfare Act 2006 The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) Regulations 2007 |
The Rules for Farmers and Land Managers webpages on GOV.UK provides further detail on what you must do and specific compliance requirements when you keep livestock or manage land. These are grouped by farming activities rather than individual regulations so you can find the ones that apply to you.
