Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2009 and come into force on 18th December 2009.

Amendment of the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2007

2. The Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2007(2) are amended in accordance with regulations 3 to 6.

Amendment of regulation 2

3. In regulation 2(1) (interpretation)-

(a) at the appropriate place, insert ""Council Regulation 73/2009" means Council Regulation (EC) 73/2009(3) establishing common rules for direct support schemes for farmers under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers, amending Regulations (EC) No. 1290/2005, (EC) No. 247/2006, (EC) No. 378/2007 and repealing Regulation (EC) No. 1782/2003";

(b) for the definition "cross compliance" substitute ""cross compliance" has, for Scheme Year 2007/2008, the same meaning as it has for the purposes of Articles 4 and 5 and annexes III and IV of Council Regulation 1782/2003 and for Scheme Year 2009 the same meaning as it has for the purposes of Articles 5 and 6 and Annexes II and III of Council Regulation 73/2009";

(c) for the definition "forage area" substitute ""forage area" means the area of the holding available to the applicant throughout the Scheme Year for rearing livestock including areas in shared use and areas subject to mixed cultivation but not including buildings, woods, ponds and paths;"; and

(d) for the definition "holding" substitute ""holding" has, for Scheme Year 2007/2008 the same meaning as it has in Article 2(b) of Council Regulation 1782/2003 and for Scheme Year 2009 the same meaning as it has for the purposes of Article 2(b) of Council Regulation 73/2009;".

Amendment of regulation 12

4. In regulation 12 (rate of payment of less favoured area support) omit "second column" where this occurs in paragraphs (2) and (3) and in each case substitute "second or third columns".

Amendment of Schedule 1

5. In Schedule 1 (land use codes eligible for less favoured area support scheme) -

(a) under the heading "crops", for "Other crops for stock feed" substitute "Other crops for stock feed (excluding kale, cabbages and fodder beet)";

(b) under the heading "crops", at the appropriate place, insert "Fodder beet" and as the corresponding entry in the column headed "code" insert "OCS-B";

(c) under the heading "crops", at the appropriate place insert "Kale and cabbage for stock feed" and as the corresponding entry in the column headed "code" insert "OCS-K".

Substitution of Schedule 3

6. For Schedule 3 substitute–

Regulation 12

"SCHEDULE 3

PART I MORE DISADVANTAGED LAND

PART II LESS DISADVANTAGED LAND

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2007 ("the principal Regulations").

These Regulations amend the principal Regulations by inserting a new definition for Council Regulation (EC) 73/2009 which repealed Council Regulation (EC) 1782/2003 and makes relevant amendments in other definitions for the applicable Scheme Years (regulation 3).

Regulation 5 makes changes to land use codes and regulation 6 makes changes in increase payment rates.

No Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared in respect of these Regulations.