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Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Reform
Find out about the new CAP schemes in England, including Basic Payment and Rural Development Programme for England schemes.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
- 84,500 meet BPS deadline
- RPA gears up to receive last minute BPS claims
- Tips for Basic Payment Scheme application forms
- Drop-in centre opening hours extended ahead of BPS deadline
- More than half of BPS 2015 claims submitted as deadline approaches
- BPS 2015 - 3 weeks to apply
- BPS 2015 update
- First 12,000 BPS applications received
- Latest information on applying for Basic Payment Scheme 2015
- Countdown to BPS deadline
- Farmers get everything they need to start 2015 BPS claim
- It’s time to apply for 2015 Basic Payment Scheme
- RPA announces more detail on how to claim for BPS 2015
- RPA publishes new Basic Payment Scheme forms online
- Rural Payments Agency announces new approach to help farmers meet Basic Payment Scheme deadline
- Common land payments: policy change
- RPA publishes guide to Basic Payment Scheme 2015
- RDPE programme document 2014 to 2020
- RPA opens new Rural Payments service to all BPS customers
- Thousands get ready to claim Basic Payment Scheme 2015
- Agents lead the way in registering on new online service for rural payments
- Latest CAP leaflet includes important details on active farmer rule
- New 2015 cross compliance guidance available online now
- More details released on CAP Reform in England
- Subsidies for solar farms to be cut to help safeguard farmland
- RPA unveils ‘top tips’ as more customers invited to use new online service
- Reminder to smallholders about minimum claim size
- RPA reminds farmers of important entitlements deadline
- CAP Reform: Dual use will continue to be allowed in 2015
- RPA unveils ‘extra help’ to get farmers online for BPS
- Smallholders urged to plan for important CAP changes
- New details on CAP implementation announced
- Common Agricultural Policy reform: implementation in England
- Strategic Environmental Assessment of the proposed new Rural Development Programme in England
- CAP greening criteria announced
- CAP boost for moorland
- Common Agricultural Policy reform countdown timeline
- New environmental scheme for farmers to prioritise biodiversity
- Implementation of CAP announced
- CAP reform in England: Status report on direct payments
- CAP reform in England: Status report on the new Rural Development Programme
Published 24 February 2014
Last updated 17 June 2015 + show all updates
Last updated 17 June 2015 + show all updates
- 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.