Farming and food grants and payments – collection

Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Reform

Find out about the new CAP schemes in England, including Basic Payment and Rural Development Programme for England schemes.

Contents

  1. Basic Payment Scheme
  2. Online applications and payments
  3. Rural Development Programme schemes
  4. Guidance about the new CAP schemes
  5. Greening and double funding
  6. Policy and news background

This collection brings together information on how the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) affects farmers. CAP is a system of agricultural subsidies and programmes covering farming, environmental measures and rural development. New schemes are being implemented in 2015.

Current scheme guidance including Basic Payment and Rural Development Programme for England schemes is available under rural grants and payments. We have also listed general information together with guidance on this page.

Basic Payment Scheme

The Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) is the main rural payments scheme to help the farming industry. Our collection of guidance will help you find out more about the scheme and find out if you’re eligible.

  1. How to apply for the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015

    • Statutory guidance

  2. Basic Payment Scheme: guidance for 2015

    • Statutory guidance

  3. RLE1 form and guidance

    • Statutory guidance

Online applications and payments

You need to register on the Rural Payments service to apply for the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015. You can register at www.gov.uk/rural-payments or by calling 03000 200 301. Our blog provides news and updates on the Rural Payments service.

  1. Register for rural payments

    • Detailed guide

Rural Development Programme schemes

Under the Rural Development Programme for England a number of schemes (including those under Countryside Stewardship) will become available during 2015. Links to current guidance are listed below or see rural grants and payments.

We’ve now published more details about Countryside Stewardship - how the scheme works, what current holders of agreements under previous schemes can apply for and the applications that can be made.

  1. Business development grants: Growth Programme

    • Detailed guide

  2. Guide to Countryside Stewardship: facilitation fund

    • Guidance

  3. How to apply for grants: Countryside Productivity

    • Detailed guide

  4. Rural Development Programme for England: LEADER funding

    • Detailed guide

  5. Guide to Countryside Stewardship: woodland capital grants 2015

    • Guidance

  6. Environmental Stewardship: how to get paid under an agreement

    • Detailed guide

Guidance about the new CAP schemes

Specific guidance on the new schemes is listed in other sections below. These leaflets will help individuals and businesses get ready.

  1. CAP Reform: February 2015 update

    • Guidance

  2. CAP Reform: December 2014 update

    • Guidance

  3. Cross compliance: guidance for 2015

    • Guidance

  4. CAP Reform: October 2014 update

    • Guidance

  5. CAP Reform: August 2014 update (including ‘greening: how it works’)

    • Guidance

  6. CAP Reform: introduction to the new Common Agricultural Policy schemes

    • Guidance

Greening and double funding

Information for farmers and land managers with Environmental Stewardship agreements to help work out whether their payments have to be adjusted to avoid ‘double funding’ under new CAP rules, and if so, the choices available. The information includes a calculator tool.

  1. CAP Reform: how we will manage double funding (greening and Environmental Stewardship)

    • Guidance

Policy and news background

For more information see reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the new schemes for farmers from 2015.

  1. 84,500 meet BPS deadline

    • News story

  2. RPA gears up to receive last minute BPS claims

    • News story

  3. Tips for Basic Payment Scheme application forms

    • News story

  4. Drop-in centre opening hours extended ahead of BPS deadline

    • News story

  5. More than half of BPS 2015 claims submitted as deadline approaches

    • News story

  6. BPS 2015 - 3 weeks to apply

    • News story

  7. BPS 2015 update

    • Press release

  8. First 12,000 BPS applications received

    • News story

  9. Latest information on applying for Basic Payment Scheme 2015

    • News story

  10. Countdown to BPS deadline

    • News story

  11. Farmers get everything they need to start 2015 BPS claim

    • News story

  12. It’s time to apply for 2015 Basic Payment Scheme

    • News story

  13. RPA announces more detail on how to claim for BPS 2015

    • Press release

  14. RPA publishes new Basic Payment Scheme forms online

    • News story

  15. Rural Payments Agency announces new approach to help farmers meet Basic Payment Scheme deadline

    • Press release

  16. Common land payments: policy change

    • Policy paper

  17. RPA publishes guide to Basic Payment Scheme 2015

    • Press release

  18. RDPE programme document 2014 to 2020

    • Policy paper

  19. RPA opens new Rural Payments service to all BPS customers

    • Press release

  20. Thousands get ready to claim Basic Payment Scheme 2015

    • Press release

  21. Agents lead the way in registering on new online service for rural payments

    • Press release

  22. Latest CAP leaflet includes important details on active farmer rule

    • Press release

  23. New 2015 cross compliance guidance available online now

    • Press release

  24. More details released on CAP Reform in England

    • Press release

  25. Subsidies for solar farms to be cut to help safeguard farmland

    • Press release

  26. RPA unveils ‘top tips’ as more customers invited to use new online service

    • News story

  27. Reminder to smallholders about minimum claim size

    • Press release

  28. RPA reminds farmers of important entitlements deadline

    • Press release

  29. CAP Reform: Dual use will continue to be allowed in 2015

    • Press release

  30. RPA unveils ‘extra help’ to get farmers online for BPS

    • Press release

  31. Smallholders urged to plan for important CAP changes

    • Press release

  32. New details on CAP implementation announced

    • Press release

  33. Common Agricultural Policy reform: implementation in England

    • Consultation outcome

  34. Strategic Environmental Assessment of the proposed new Rural Development Programme in England

    • Consultation outcome

  35. CAP greening criteria announced

    • Press release

  36. CAP boost for moorland

    • News story

  37. Common Agricultural Policy reform countdown timeline

    • Policy paper

  38. New environmental scheme for farmers to prioritise biodiversity

    • Press release

  39. Implementation of CAP announced

    • Press release

  40. CAP reform in England: Status report on direct payments

    • Policy paper

  41. CAP reform in England: Status report on the new Rural Development Programme

    • Policy paper
Published:
Updated:

+ full page history

Added link to latest news story from the Rural Payments Agency.
Added link to 12 June RPA news story.
Added links to recent RPA news releases.
Added a link to RPA's 2 June news story, "More than half of BPS 2015 claims submitted as deadline approaches"
Added links to recent RPA press releases.
Added link to RPA's news story "latest information on applying for Basic Payment Scheme 2015"
Added link to Rural Payments Agency news story "countdown to BPS deadline".
Added link to RPA news story, "Farmers get everything they need to start 2015 BPS claim"
Added link to RPA news story "It’s time to apply for 2015 Basic Payment Scheme"
Added link to news release, RPA announces more detail on how to claim for BPS 2015.
Added further information about Countryside Stewardship.
Updated information on registering for rural payments.
Added link to latest news release, "RPA publishes new Basic Payment Scheme forms online".
Added a link to growth scheme guidance.
Added links to Basic Payment Scheme forms for 2015.
Added link to new guide on Countryside Stewardship: facilitation fund.
Added a link in the "policy" section to information on common land payments.
Added a link to Countryside Productivity Scheme: EIP-Agri grant information.
Added link to Countryside Productivity Scheme information.
Added a link to guidance on Rural Development Programme for England LEADER funding.
Added new link to Countryside Stewardship: water capital grants 2015.
Added section on Basic Payment Scheme guidance.
Added link to CAP Reform: February 2015 update
Added new link to Countryside Stewardship: woodland capital grants 2015
Updated information about online applications and payments and link to how to register.
Added link to RPA's 16 January press release and updated online payments links.
Added link to the new leaflet "CAP Reform: December 2014 update"
Added link to new cross compliance guidance for 2015.
Added "Introduction to Countryside Stewardship" leaflet.
October 2014 leaflet added.
Added link to CAP Reform blog about GOV.UK Verify.
Added link to 19 October press release on subsidies for solar farms
Added link to RPA's press release, 16 October 2014: Reminder to smallholders about minimum claim size.
Added link to RPA's 8 October press release - 'RPA reminds farmers of important entitlements deadline'
Information added about online applications and payments
Added link to RPA's press release, 26 September on dual use in 2015.
Added link to RPA's 22 September news article on extra help to get farmers online for BPS.
Re-organised to make it easier to find specific guidance for those who may be affected by double-funding.
Added a link to RPA's 3 September press release regarding smallholders
Added links to publications on 14 August 2014: leaflet and press release.
Routine update to reflect Rural Payments Agency and RDPE network information now on GOV.UK.
Removed some surplus text and re-organised a few of the key documents to simplify the presentation.
Added CAP greening criteria announced press release to collection.
Updated greening and RDPE information added.
Added a link to 'Greening - work out what it means for you'.
Added a link to the 'government decision on the moorland rate' document.
Added a link to the CAP reform blog.
Added a link to the latest news item on payment rates for moorland farmers.
CAP Reform leaflet added
Link to RDPE Network information added.
Added latest press release: New environmental scheme for farmers to prioritise biodiversity
Added links to policy updates, timeline, policy documents and guidance.
First published.
From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Forestry Commission
Natural England
Rural Payments Agency