Purpose
The skill supports the GAP collective application (Common Agricultural Policy 2023–2027) and its defense in objection and administrative court proceedings. It covers the direct payments of Pillar 1 (basic income support, complementary redistributive income support, young farmer premium, coupled income support), the eco-schemes (eco-schemes under Art. 31 Reg. (EU) 2021/2115) and conditionality (GAEC standards and GAB under Annex III Reg. (EU) 2021/2115). It addresses penalty assessment and the objection and court proceedings against approval and revocation notices.
Inputs
- Farm data (InVeKoS farm number — as
[Betr.-Nr.]redact; federal state; hectares of agricultural area; parcel allocation as an anonymized list) - Application year and concrete procedural status (in preparation / approved / reduction threatened / revocation under § 48 VwVfG / objection / court proceedings)
- Applied-for funding components (basic premium, redistribution, young farmers, coupled support, eco-schemes 1–7)
- Alleged conditionality violations (which GAEC / GAB; factual basis on-the-spot check / remote sensing / monitoring)
- Earlier notices and reduction history
Sub-agent architecture
Researcher provides the relevant EU regulation provisions (in particular Reg. (EU) 2021/2115 and 2021/2116) with CELEX links, the German implementing law (GAP-DZG, GAPInVeKoSG, GAP-KondV, GAP-IntegrV), BVerwG/OVG lines on revocation and penalty assessment as well as the annual amounts with [unverifiziert – aktueller Stand prüfen]. Drafter prepares, in expert-opinion style, an application support or objection statement that addresses conditionality, proportionality of the penalty and burden of proof. Reviewer checks the cut-off date, penalty assessment, primacy of application of the EU regulation and the risk of exclusion in subsequent years.
Procedure
1. Scope of application and eligibility to apply
Examination whether the client farm holder within the meaning of Art. 3 No. 1 Reg. (EU) 2021/2115 is (agricultural activity under Art. 4(2) Reg. (EU) 2021/2115, minimum threshold for direct payments under Art. 18). Substantive: eligible hectare area under Art. 4(4) Reg. (EU) 2021/2115 in conjunction with § 4 GAP-DZG. Temporal: application year and cut-off date of the collective application (determined by state law, communicated annually) [unverifiziert – aktueller Stand prüfen].
2. Funding components of Pillar 1
| Component | Legal basis | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Basic income support (basic premium) | Art. 21–28 Reg. (EU) 2021/2115; §§ 4 et seq. GAP-DZG | EUR/ha annually, further developed by case law [unverifiziert] |
| Complementary redistributive income support | Art. 29 Reg. (EU) 2021/2115; § 9 GAP-DZG | First hectares remunerated more highly; thresholds annually [unverifiziert] |
| Young farmer premium | Art. 30 VO (EU) 2021/2115; § 10 GAP-DZG | Age limit, first establishment, max. years [unverifiziert] |
| Coupled income support | Art. 32 et seq. VO (EU) 2021/2115; § 11 GAP-DZG | DE: Ewes/does, suckler cows [unverifiziert] |
3. Eco-schemes (Art. 31 VO (EU) 2021/2115; § 20 GAP-DZG)
Seven eco-schemes in Germany (as of 2023–2024 [unverifiziert – aktueller Stand prüfen]):
- Provision of areas to improve biodiversity (fallow land beyond conditionality)
- Cultivation of diverse crops
- Maintenance of agroforestry management on arable land
- Extensification of permanent grassland
- Result-oriented extensive management of permanent grassland (indicator species)
- Management of arable and permanent crop areas without plant protection products
- Application of plant protection products in protected areas
Funding amount per eco-scheme announced annually. Multiple funding with ELER measures must be excluded under the prohibition of double funding (Art. 36 VO (EU) 2021/2116).
4. Conditionality (Art. 12, 13 VO (EU) 2021/2115; GAP-KondV)
GLÖZ standards (Annex III VO (EU) 2021/2115; specified in the GAP-KondV):
| GLÖZ | Content (summarized) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Preservation of permanent grassland (share threshold, approval requirement for conversion) |
| 2 | Protection of wetlands and peatlands |
| 3 | Prohibition of stubble burning |
| 4 | Buffer strips along watercourses |
| 5 | Soil tillage to reduce erosion |
| 6 | Minimum soil cover over the winter |
| 7 | Crop rotation |
| 8 | Minimum share of non-productive areas / landscape features |
| 9 | Prohibition of conversion of ecologically sensitive permanent grassland areas |
Statutory management requirements (SMR) — Annex III VO (EU) 2021/2115 refers to national implementation of, among others, the DüV, the Plant Protection VO, the Habitats and Birds Directive as well as the Water Framework Directive.
5. Determination of sanctions for conditionality breaches
Legal basis: Art. 84, 85 VO (EU) 2021/2116; specified in DV (EU) 2022/1172 [unverifiziert]. Assessment levels as a rule:
- Negligent: reduction of direct payments as a rule 3 %, depending on severity/extent/duration 1 %–5 %
- Intentional: 15 %–100 %; exclusion possible
- Repeat: factor 3 on the percentage up to 15 %; thereafter intentional path
Proportionality (Art. 59 VO (EU) 2021/2116) and the degree of fault must be addressed in every reasoning — blanket reductions without case-by-case consideration are open to challenge.
6. Procedure and legal protection
- Single application via the InVeKoS portal of the respective federal state; deadline communicated annually. Subsequent deadlines and proportional reductions under Art. 8 DV (EU) 2022/1173
[unverifiziert]. - Grant decision of the state authority. Withdrawal and Revocation for the past under §§ 48, 49 VwVfG in conjunction with legitimate expectations (in particular § 48(2) VwVfG).
- Objection § 70 VwGO within 1 month of notification; suspensive effect under § 80 VwGO generally exists but may lapse upon an order for immediate enforcement.
- Course of action: as a rule, the administrative court (§ 40 VwGO); in individual federal states, special jurisdictions may be possible for certain types of funding
[unverifiziert – landesrechtlich prüfen].
Sources and citation style
Binding: ../../../references/zitierweise.md.
EU law
- Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 (CAP Strategic Plan Regulation)
- Regulation (EU) 2021/2116 (Horizontal Regulation – financing, management, conditionality, IACS)
- Regulation (EU) 2021/2117 (amending regulation on agriculture)
- Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1172, 2022/1173 (IACS, sanctions, application procedure)
[unverifiziert] - CAP Strategic Plan Germany 2023–2027
German law
- GAP-DZG (Direct Payments Implementing Act)
- GAPInVeKoSG (Integrated Administration and Control System)
- GAP-KondV (Conditionality Ordinance)
- GAP-IntegrV (Integrated Application)
- §§ 48, 49 VwVfG (revocation/withdrawal)
- § 70 VwGO (objection period)
Commentaries
- Düsing, in: Düsing/Martinez, Agrarrecht, as of 2024, GAP-DZG / GAP-KondV
[unverifiziert] - Martinez, in: Düsing/Martinez, Agrarrecht, as of 2024, Regulation (EU) 2021/2115
[unverifiziert] - Norer, Handbuch des Agrarrechts, 3rd ed.
[unverifiziert]
Case law ([unverifiziert – prüfen in juris/curia.europa.eu])
- CJEU case law on the predecessor Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 on the proportionality of conditionality sanctions — only transferable to Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 to a limited extent.
- BVerwG on the withdrawal of agricultural subsidies under § 48 VwVfG and legitimate expectations determined by Union law.
- OVG lines (in particular OVG Lüneburg, OVG Greifswald, OVG Magdeburg) on the burden of proof in remote sensing.
Output format
GUTACHTEN — GAP-Sammelantrag / Konditionalität
Betrieb: [Betr.-Nr.], Bundesland, Antragsjahr JJJJ
I. Sachverhalt (knapp)
II. Frage(n)
III. Kurzantwort
– Antragsberechtigung: [ja / nein / unklar]
– Empfehlung: [Antrag stellen / Korrektur / Widerspruch / Klage]
IV. Rechtliche Bewertung
1. Anwendungsbereich und Antragsberechtigung
(Betriebsinhaber Art. 3 VO (EU) 2021/2115; förderfähige Hektar)
2. Förderkomponenten der 1. Säule
(Basisprämie, Umverteilung, Junglandwirte, gekoppelte Stützung)
3. Öko-Regelungen
(welche Maßnahmen, Doppelförderungsverbot)
4. Konditionalität
a) GLÖZ-Standards (welcher Verstoß)
b) GAB (welche Norm)
c) Beweislage (Vor-Ort, Fernerkundung, Monitoring)
5. Sanktionsbemessung
(Fahrlässigkeit / Vorsatz / Wiederholung; Verhältnismäßigkeit
Art. 59 VO (EU) 2021/2116)
6. Rechtsschutz
(Widerspruch § 70 VwGO; Klage; aufschiebende Wirkung)
V. Antrag / Empfehlung
– z. B. "Widerspruch wird eingelegt; aufschiebende Wirkung
gewährt § 80 Abs. 1 VwGO; hilfsweise Antrag nach § 80 V VwGO."
VI. Risiken / offene Punkte
🟢 / 🟡 / 🔴 <Einstufung mit Begründung>
VII. Frist-Tabelle
<übernommen vom Researcher>
VIII. Quellenverzeichnis
Example (excerpt, legal opinion style)
III. Conditionality, GAEC 8. The state authority bases the 5% reduction on an infringement of GAEC 8 (minimum share of non-productive areas, Art. 13 in conjunction with Annex III of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115). § 11 GAP-KondV is decisive. According to the submitted list of parcels, the client declared 4.2% non-productive areas; the required minimum threshold under § 11(1) GAP-KondV is 4% of the arable land
[unverifiziert – aktueller Stand prüfen]. The GAEC standard is thus formally complied with; the reduction is not supported. Furthermore, under Art. 59 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2116, proportionality must be observed — even in the event of an infringement, a 5% reduction for a first-time and minor deviation would have to be regarded as disproportionate, since § 19(1) GAP-KondV provides for a range of 1% to 5% depending on severity[unverifiziert].
Risks / typical errors
- Late consolidated application. Reduction of 1% per working day after the deadline; complete exclusion after 25 working days
[unverifiziert – aktueller Stand prüfen]. - Double funding Eco-scheme + EAFRD measure (Infringement of Art. 36 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2116).
- Flat-rate adoption of the authority's sanction without examination of degree of fault and proportionality (Art. 59 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2116).
- Overlooking the limits of legitimate expectations determined by Union law in revocation under § 48 VwVfG (ECJ line stricter than § 48(2) VwVfG).
- Unused suspensive effect of the objection (§ 80(1) VwGO).
- Specific EUR/ha amount without
[unverifiziert – aktueller Stand prüfen]stating — the amounts change annually. - Misjudging that the BVerwG / OVG, not the agricultural court, has jurisdiction (unlike in land transactions).