Key dates for 2016

This is an old version of the page

Date published: 28 September, 2016

Date superseded: 15 March, 2018

Important note
The deadline for submission of your Single Application Form 2016 has been extended to 15 June

The below information relates to the 2016 scheme year. We will update this page with the key dates for 2017 ahead of the opening date for the Single Application Form window.

Guidance on how to complete a Single Application Form can be found using the link below.

Single Application Form

Date Event
1 January Start of the scheme year. You must meet all Cross Compliance conditions from this date.

Start of management for EFA buffers and EFA field margins.
15 January Start of management period for EFA fallow.
1 March Start of no hedge cutting period.
2 April (or first working day after if this falls on weekend or public holiday) Deadline for RPID to receive an application to transfer Basic Payment Scheme entitlements with an effective date of 15 May this year
1 May (to 30 June) Period designated as the most relevant for calculating the shares attributable to different crop types for the purposes of crop diversification.
15 May Land used to claim Basic Payment Scheme payment in 2016 has to be ‘at your disposal’ on this date.
15 May Start of the Land Managers Options scheme year.
Midnight, 15 June Deadline for Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division to receive form PF06 (Land maintenance) – land transfers (the land for the Basic Payment Scheme 2015 must have been at the applicants disposal on 15 May, 2015) and mapping changes (such as permanent changes to field boundaries or information about permanent ineligible features that are not already included on existing maps).
Midnight, 15 June Deadline for Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division to receive Single Application Form / Basic Payment Scheme 2015 application.
Midnight, 15 June Deadline for Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division to receive applications for Land Managers Options continuing commitments. (Note – applications received after this date are inadmissible).
Midnight, 10 July Deadline for Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division to receive late applications (Single Application Forms / Basic Payment Scheme 2015 applications, applications to National Reserve), or late amendments, with penalty.
Midnight, 10 July Deadline for Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division to receive nominations or changes to preferred currency (euros or sterling) in which Direct Payments are to be received.
15 July End of management period for EFA fallow.
1 August End of management period for EFA nitrogen fixing crops.
31 August Start of cutting period for hedges.
30 September Euro exchange rate is set.
1 October Catch crop / green cover must be established.
1 December Payment window opens for Basic Payment Scheme.
31 December End of scheme year. You must meet all Cross Compliance conditions until this date.

It is important to note that there is no provision for the 2016 scheme year to allow amendments to Single Application Forms without penalty after 15 June, 2016.

Changes can be made after this date for reasons of force majeure, withdrawals of all or part of your application, obvious errors and notified errors.

Outside these reasons, amendments can only be made between 16 June and 10 July by withdrawing the Single Application Form in its entirety, making the changes, and re-submitting.

In this case, you need to be aware that we will apply deductions to any subsequent payments for late submission.

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