Rural Payments and Services

Updated guidance for the Greening rules has been published for 2018.

Greening 2018

Changes for 2018

It was announced by the Minister that a number of changes to the Greening rules will be introduced from 2018.

Additionally, a list of potential changes to greening were identified under the EC Simplification Agenda, which have now been confirmed by the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/1155.

These changes only affect the EFA requirements, with the existing rules on crop diversification and permanent grassland unaffected.The following list highlights the changes which are detailed in the Greening booklet under the appropriate EFA section:

• hedges will be a separate EFA option
• agro-forestry established since 2015 under FGS (Pillar 2) on BPS eligible, arable land in 2015 will be a separate EFA option
• maintenance of drainage on EFA fallow
• the introduction of a compulsory ban on Plant Protection Products on EFA fallow, EFA nitrogen fixing crops, EFA catch crops and EFA green cover, subject to certain flexibilities
• changes to EFA eligibility/location. Introduce a new definition of 'adjacent' when considering whether EFA features are 'on or adjacent to arable land', necessary for them to qualify as EFA
• changes to catch crop and green cover options. Setting a new minimum duration period for the retention of catch crop and green cover to meet the EFA option requirements. Remove the deadlines given in the Regulation for the sowing of catch crop and green cover
• changes to the EFA Nitrogen fixing crops option
• a new option of EFA Margin will be introduced which will amalgamate the previous EFA field margin and EFA buffer strip options