The European Union importantly tightens the course towards Poland. Polish farmers and billions of euro were targeted at Brussels as part of subsidies. In fresh weeks, there has been a wave of increased checks to verify whether the EU budget is spent as intended. The scale of audits is unprecedented and their result may be painful – not only financial penalties are involved, but besides the request to reimburse already received money. It is simply a signal that the rules of the game are changing and the force on the European Commission will only increase.
For thousands of Polish farms this means a state of advanced readiness. EU officials, supported by modern technologies, look at all item – from the declaration in the applications to the actual state of crops in the fields. New, environmentally friendly mechanisms attract peculiar attention, which have proved to be a financial trap for many. The coming months will be a test for the resilience and care of Polish farmers.
Brussels tightens the screw. Control scale increasing
The European Commission has set itself a clear objective: zero tolerance for any irregularities in spending funds under the Common Agricultural Policy. Although checks on subsidies are a standard procedure, their current strength and coverage are of reasonable concern. Brussels wants to make certain that all euro from a giant agricultural budget is utilized efficiently and in accordance with strict guidelines. Poland, as 1 of the largest beneficiaries of these funds, was under peculiar supervision.
Increased force is simply a consequence not only of taking care of the EU budget, but besides of the expanding importance of climate objectives. Officials want to check whether the money allocated to the environmental measures actually contributes to the implementation of the Green Deal and is not just a way to rise additional funds without covering real activities. That makes Controls are more meticulous than ever.and the margin of mistake for farmers has decreased dramatically.
What's under the glass? From papers to satellite images
The era, in which the audit was based mainly on paper documentation and random field visits, passes irretrievably. Today, Brussels has an advanced arsenal of tools for verifying applications. The Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture (ARiMR) is increasingly carrying out audits based on digital data that leave no area for understatement.
The auditors shall check, inter alia:
- Compliance of the declaration with reality: With precise satellite photos, officials can compare the declared area in real time with the actual condition in the field.
- Work schedules: The deadlines for performing individual agrotechnical treatments shall be verified to guarantee that they comply with the programme requirements.
- Photographic documentation: Farmers may be asked to supply photos with geotags which confirm the execution of certain activities at a circumstantial location and time.
- Full financial and registration documentation: Each component of the application must have solid coverage in papers which the farmer is obliged to keep.
This level of supervision means that even a insignificant formal failure may give emergence to the initiation of the procedure and the imposition of a financial correction.
Ekoschemats on target. Here the hazard is greatest
EU officials are peculiarly curious in the alleged ecoschemates, i.e. voluntary, but additionally paid ecological actions. It is in this area that the hazard of making a mistake and vulnerability to financial consequences is the highest. These mechanisms are comparatively new, and their rules can be complicated and ambiguous.
Brussels carefully examines whether farmers' declarations concerning, for example, the usage of poplons, integrated plant protection or the maintenance of honey areas are actually covered. If the check shows that the farmer has received a payment but has not implemented full declared practices, will gotta reimburse all or part of the funds received with interest. This is simply a real threat, especially for those who have treated eco-schemats as an easy way to increase income without in-depth cognition of the requirements.
How does the Polish government react? The Ministry of Agriculture's announcements
The Polish government is aware of the expanding force from Brussels and is trying to react. The Ministry of Agriculture and agrarian improvement ensures full cooperation with the European Commission while declaring to defend the interests of Polish farmers. As the typical of the Ministry emphasises, the aim is to avoid a situation where "fair hosts would be punished for unclear or besides complicated procedures".
In consequence to increased control work is underway on systemic solutions. Among another things, it is planned to simplify certain application procedures and to implement a national monitoring system. It would be preventive, helping farmers identify possible errors even before sending documents. This is intended to increase transparency and minimise the hazard of financial corrections, but the real effects of these actions will should be awaited.
What does that mean for farmers? Prepare for the hard months
Increased checks from Brussels are not only a theory, but a real, applicable consequence for all farmer benefiting from subsidies. The coming months are primarily the request for maximum care and precision. Any application, declaration and paper must be prepared without error. Farmers must be ready to verify any aspect of their activities.
In practice, this represents a greater administrative burden and the request to paper all activities in detail. No more "something like this" approach. Now it's about hard evidence and full compliance. For many farms this may be a hard time to verify their ability to adapt in a new, more challenging reality of the EU's agricultural policy. 1 thing is certain: Brussels looks more closely at Poland's hands than always before.
Continued here:
Brussels moves with large control. Polish farmers will gotta pay back?
