In 1998, the European Commission approved very substantial rates of payment – up to £77 an acre – for participants in REPS farming eligible commonage land. To secure this approval strict eligibility conditions had to be put in place, including the restriction of payment to owned commonage shares over which farming rights are being exercised. Under the terms of the agreement with the Commission, payment is expressly prohibited in respect of leased or dormant commonage shares.
When the agreement with the Commission was implemented in 1999 as supplementary measure A of REPS – now measure A in the new scheme – eligibility of commonage for payment was initially restricted to owned commonage declared for area aid in 1997. This was later extended to include owned commonage declared for area aid in 1998. The new REP scheme introduced on 27 November 2000 has extended eligibility further to include owned commonage declared for area aid in 1999.
Farmers who meet this requirement and the other eligibility criteria may apply for REPS. There is no requirement for them to have been in REPS previously.
