EU hedgerow ruling squeezes wildlife
8 December 1999
EU hedgerow ruling squeezes wildlife
NEW European Union rules instructing farmers how to claim subsidies could be a disaster for wildlife, conservationists fear.
The rules force landowners and tenants to cut their hedges and plough fields even closer to the boundary.
They specify that if the distance from the field boundary to the edge of the crop or forage area is more than two metres, then the farmer will not be eligible for subsidy.
The instructions, sent to farmers filling out their Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) forms for next year, also warn that hedges in 20m set-aside strips should not be more than two metres wide. These instructions overturn an understanding that the hedgerow area could be considered part of the field.
The new rules are an attempt by the European Commission to reduce fraud and waste of subsidy.