merrion street

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney T.D., announced today the establishment of a Charter Review Group to discuss a new Charter and Action Plan for farmers to replace the current Farmers Charter and Action Plan. The Review Group will be comprised of Department officials and representatives of the main farmer representative organisations. The farmer organisations will be invited to nominate representatives to sit on the Review Group, which will hold its first meeting in January.

The Review Group will agree standards of service in respect of Department schemes to which the new Charter will apply. It will set out payment and decision targets in respect of these schemes and take account of any measures agreed under the CAP reform programme, including Pillar 1 supports and schemes and programmes forming part of the new Rural Development Programme 2014-2020.

It is hoped to have the new Charter in place later in 2014 once the new Rural Development Programme has been agreed with the EU Commission. At that time a Charter Monitoring Group will be established under an independent chair to monitor Charter commitments.

ENDS