Rules to manage and penalize EU farm aid in Spain

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The law sets the basic rules for applying the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aid management system in Spain from 2023, including penalties and sanctions for aid recipients.
2. Aid beneficiaries and farm owners must deal with the administration electronically, but people who cannot prove access to electronic means may keep using non-electronic channels.
3. The law creates the SIEXSIEX Farm and livestock information system: the administration's computer platform to manage and organize the agricultural sector. system, through which farm owners and related companies must provide, electronically, the information needed to manage farm aid and organize the agricultural sectors.
4. Anyone who intentionally gives false data to receive aid will be denied it and excluded from that aid for the current year and the following two. Obstructing control checks also leads to full denial of the aid.
5. Undue payments must be returned within eighteen months plus late-payment interest, and the administration may offset these debts against future payments to the beneficiary.
6. The law defines minor, serious and very serious offenses related to CAP aid, with fines of up to 1,000 euros for minor ones, from 1,001 to 10,000 euros for serious ones, and from 10,001 to 50,000 euros for very serious ones.
7. It creates specific sanction regimes for olive oil, the dairy sector, animal breeding, sustainable soil nutrition and the register of Best Available Techniques, with fines that can reach 500,000 euros in the most serious cases.
8. The law amends other rules, such as the Vine and Wine Law on vineyard plantings, the Plant Health Law and the Animal Health Law, and takes effect on January 2, 2023.

Who it affects

• Farmers and livestock breeders applying for CAP aid: They must deal with the administration electronically, provide information, and face penalties, sanctions and repayments if they fail to comply.
• Olive oil and dairy industry operators: New sanction regimes apply to them, with fines for breaking marketing rules and mandatory declarations.
• Breeders of purebred reproductive animals: Breaking breeding rules can bring fines of up to 500,000 euros and withdrawal of official recognition.
• Farm owners using fertilizers or pesticides: New offenses and fines for not following sustainable soil nutrition and sustainable pesticide use rules.

Words worth knowing

PAC (CAP)

Common Agricultural Policy: the European Union's set of farm aid and rules.

Penalización (penalty)

A reduction or denial of aid when its conditions are not met. It is not a sanction, although a sanction may also apply.

SIEX

Farm and livestock information system: the administration's computer platform to manage and organize the agricultural sector.

Condicionalidad social (social conditionality)

Labor and health and safety obligations that certain CAP aid recipients must meet.

MTD (Best Available Techniques)

The most effective techniques to reduce emissions and pollution on livestock farms.

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries