Regulation (EU) 2024/1468 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 amending Regulations (EU) 2021/2115 and (EU) 2021/2116 as regards good agricultural and environmental condition standards, schemes for climate, environment and animal welfare, amendment of the CAP Strategic Plans, review of the CAP Strategic Plans and exemptions from controls and penalties

‘2a When implementing the minimum standards set in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2, Member States may grant temporary derogations from requirements such as time limits and periods set in those standards where weather conditions prevent farmers and other beneficiaries from complying with those requirements in a given year. Such temporary derogations shall be limited in their scope to farmers and other beneficiaries or areas affected by such weather conditions and shall be applied only for as long as they are strictly necessary.’;

‘1a As a part of the eco-schemes referred to in paragraph 1, Member States shall establish and provide support for one or more schemes covering, on arable land, practices for the maintenance of non-productive areas, such as land lying fallow, and for the establishment of new landscape features. Those schemes shall be voluntary for active farmers and groups of active farmers.’;

‘2 Farmers with a maximum size of holding not exceeding 10 ha of agricultural area declared in accordance with Article 69(1) shall be exempted from controls under a system set up in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article.’;

‘4 Farmers with a maximum size of holding not exceeding 10 ha of agricultural area declared in accordance with Article 69(1) shall be exempted from the penalties referred to in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of this Article and in Article 85;’;

1 By way of derogation from Article 119(8), third subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, the date of effect of amendments of CAP Strategic Plans related to changes to GAEC standards 6, 7 or 8 laid down in the Annex to this Regulation, submitted by Member States to the Commission for approval pursuant to Article 119(2) of that Regulation with respect to claim year 2024 shall not be subject to Commission approval.

2 By way of derogation from Article 119(11) of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, Member States may decide for claim year 2024 that amendments to CAP Strategic Plans related to the changes to GAEC standards 6, 7 or 8 laid down in the Annex to this Regulation have legal effect before their approval by the Commission. With respect to GAEC standard 8 , the Member States may take that decision only if they apply for the claim year 2024 a scheme covering, on arable land, practices for the maintenance of non-productive areas, such as land lying fallow, or for the establishment of new landscape features, as referred to in Article 31 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115. In taking the decision referred to in the first subparagraph, Member States shall ensure that the general principles of Union law, in particular the principles of legal certainty, of non-discrimination and of the protection of the legitimate expectations of farmers and other beneficiaries, are respected and that the need for farmers and other beneficiaries to have sufficient time to comply with the amendments is taken into account.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Article 2, points (2) and (3), and the Annex shall apply as from claim year 2024. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.