About us
We’re a unit located within core-Defra that supports Defra and the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland governments and their paying agencies to administer the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the UK in accordance with the UK's Withdrawal Agreement with the EU.
We’re the sole point of contact with the European Commission on certain specified aspects of the EU’s agricultural funds.
We manage the online publication of amounts paid to CAP beneficiaries by UK paying agencies.
Who we are
UKCB provides the secretariat to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; the Scottish ministers; the Welsh ministers and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Northern Ireland Executive, acting collectively as the Co-ordinating Body as defined in Article 7.4 of Regulation 1306/2013.
Ministers are assisted by a Management Board, consisting of the director and 4 individuals nominated by Ministers. The chairmanship of the board rotates between the 4 ministers’ representatives.
Responsibilities
Our responsibilities are to:
- collect and supply the financial, audit and statistical information required by the European Commission (EC)
- work with the paying agencies to resolve problems in the administration of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and keep the EC informed of any follow-up
- promote the harmonised application of EU rules
- represent the UK at the monthly meetings of the EU Agricultural Funds Committee
- support ministers in the granting, monitoring and withdrawing of paying agency accreditation, based on the annual reports of the UK Certifying Body and reports from the EC’s services
- manage the service level agreement with the UK Certifying Body
- set up and maintain the UK website for the publication of CAP beneficiary data
We’ve produced a presentation about the UKCB’s responsibilities.
Priorities
Our priorities are to:
- work with paying agencies to ensure that they maintain their accreditation status and effectively administer the CAP, particularly in respect of CAP reform
- co-ordinate the UK’s response to EU audits
- mitigate the risk of financial corrections
- submit accounting, audit and statistical returns to the EU within regulatory deadlines
- oversee the transition to the new certification audit regime
- publish CAP beneficiary data in accordance with EU transparency rules
- deliver services efficiently and effectively