Stability and simplicity: proposals for a rural funding transition period

3. Purpose of This Document

This consultation invites comments on options for stabilising and simplifying support for land managers, individuals and organisations across Scotland in the period immediately after the UK Government takes Scotland out of the European Union, whilst ensuring that we maintain our environmental standards and meet climate change targets.

Our proposals seek to generate discussion within Scotland's farming and crofting communities. They aim to create a transition period of up to five years as we move from the current funding and support approaches in the existing Direct Payments and Scottish Rural Development Programme ( SRDP) to developing and implementing a new rural policy framework for Scotland. Should resources allow, that period might also usefully enable the testing and piloting of new approaches.