The Integrated Administration and Control System: guidance

2. Eligibility

Farmers and land managers

To be eligible to claim under SFPS, SBCS, LFASS, ECS, PCP and NAS you must also be a farmer carrying out an agricultural activity. Additionally, claimants under the SFPS must have SFPS entitlements. To be eligible to claim LMO/ LMCMS, you can be any land manager.

• A farmer is defined in European regulations as, "a natural or legal person, or a group of natural or legal persons, whatever legal status is granted to the group and its members by national law, whose holding is situated within Community territory, and who exercises an agricultural activity". This includes legally constituted bodies such as a partnership, company or trust. Note: you must be over 16 years of age.
• Agricultural activity is defined as, "the production, rearing or growing of agricultural products including harvesting, milking, breeding animals and keeping animals for farming purposes, or maintaining the land in good agricultural and environmental condition ( GAEC)".

Agents

You can authorise an agent to act for you or your business. You must fill in form AA1 (available from your SGRPID area office) to authorise an agent to act for you, if you have not already done so. For some forestry businesses who deal with more than one agent, a lead agent may have to be nominated. Your SGRPID area office can provide further detail if it is relevant. However, you will still be responsible for meeting scheme rules and for any penalties we might apply for breaches of scheme rules by yourself or the business.

Production

There is no requirement to keep livestock or grow crops to be eligible to claim for SFPS but, whether you produce anything or not you will still need to keep your land in GAEC. However, if you have entitlements with special conditions you must maintain at least 50% of the livestock units that earned you the entitlement.