WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2571/98 by John McCARTIN to the Commission. Headage payments in Ireland
Date: 1998-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, MCCARTIN
Subjects: Ireland, agricultural holding, aid system, competence of the Member States, livestock, married person, monetary compensatory amount, mountain region

14.5.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 135/75

A first EU-Tunisia Association Council took place on 13-14 July 1998, which also allowed for an
3.
exchange of views on human rights questions; on that occasion the EU had the opportunity of stressing
that the aims of the association are based on shared respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of
law. It confirmed that the political dialogue between the two partners will enable them to consult each
other frankly on a whole series of political issues, including human rights, and should contribute to the
government’s aspirations to develop democratic traditions and civil society based on the rule of law.

(1999/C 135/088)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2571/98

by John McCartin (PPE) to the Commission

(1 September 1998)

Subject: Headage payments in Ireland

Is the Commission aware of recent serious problems in the mountain regions in the West of Ireland
relating to headage payments (compensatory allowances), where sometimes a husband and wife have
separate herds which are grazed on commonage as is the tradition in such systems? Can the Commission
state whether or not such common grazing is in violation of the conditions for headage payments under the
scheme?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(29 September 1998)

The Commission is responsible for the approval of the national headage schemes according to Community
rules, but not for the approval of individual applications which falls under the competence of the national
authorities. Consequently, the Commission is not aware of the specific case of granting headage payments
to both husband and wife for separate herds grazing on commonage to which the Honourable Member
refers. Also the control missions undertaken to check the correct implementation and application of the
schemes in the Member States give no indications on irregularities in the application of the approved
headage scheme.

The general possibility to grant headage payments for animals grazing on commonage is compatible with
Community law and has been approved for Ireland. In the Irish scheme, the applicants have either to
occupy and farm at least 3 hectares of utilised agricultural land which may include commonage or to have
grazing rights in less favoured areas which are equivalent to a farming area of 3 hectares in order to be
eligible for headage payments. If both husband and wife manage completely independent farms in less
favoured areas and fulfil this condition, each of them is eligible for headage payments from the viewpoint
of Community law. However, national provisions set a limitation on separate applications in the case of
two or more people managing one or more herds as a single unit. In such a case, they should be treated as
one joint applicant and their herds as one joint herd for the purpose of the headage scheme.

(1999/C 135/089)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2575/98

by John McCartin (PPE) to the Commission

(1 September 1998)

Subject: Cohesion and Structural Funds payments to Ireland

Can the Commission state how much EU finance is to be paid to Ireland under the current six-year
programme under the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund and how much of this money had actually
been paid by 1 January 1998?