Farmers in Wales are being reminded that EU regulations which they must comply with to avoid fines and penalties will still be applicable after 31 January.
FUW Pembrokeshire County Executive Officer Rebecca Voyle, said: “Farmers might be tempted think the rules and regulations are to be thrown out of the window from 1 February, but that is not true, and believing this is the case could bring severe consequences.
“The UK will still be linked to the EU and will only just be starting the transition period which means little will change in practical terms and all rules still apply.”
Mrs Voyle said this included rules which are linked to the Basic Payment and other schemes.
An example is the requirement to notify Rural Payment Wales (RPW) of any changes to land.
“Please remember that you are still required to notify RPW of certain changes to land within 30 days of the change taking place in order to avoid penalties.
“A ‘Manage My Land’ form needs to be submitted via your RPW Online account when you buy or sell land, or rent new land for which you have the management control of at 15 May.
“In addition, if the boundary of a field is changed on a permanent basis, a field is amalgamated or divided on a permanent basis, or a field is being registered and mapped for the first time or the permanent feature area recorded in a field increases or decreases you will also need to submit a form,” said Rebecca Voyle.
Mrs Voyle emphasised that this was just one of thousands of rules and regulations that would not change, despite the UK leaving the EU at the end of January.