The Farming with Nature Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025

Made

Coming into operation

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 48 of, and paragraph 7 of Schedule 6 to the Agriculture Act 2020[^f00001], makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1

These Regulations may be cited as The Farming with Nature Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 and shall come into operation on the day after the day on which it is affirmed by resolution of the Assembly.

Interpretation

2

• (1) In these Regulations—

• “the Rural Development Regulation” means Regulation (EU) No. 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development[^f00002].

• (2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954[^f00003] shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

Amendment of the Rural Development Regulation

3

The Rural Development Regulation is amended in accordance with regulations 4 and 5.

4

In Article 28—

• (a) for paragraph 5 substitute—

(5) Commitments under this measure shall be for up to seven years.

• (b) for paragraph 10 substitute—

(10) (1) The appropriate authority may make regulations to provide support in accordance with paragraph 1. (2) The appropriate authority, in order to ensure that agri-environment-climate commitments are defined in accordance with the priorities for rural development, may make regulations concerning the following: (a) the conditions applicable to commitments to extensify livestock farming; (b) the conditions applicable to commitments to rear local breeds that are in danger of being lost to farming or to preserve plant genetic resources that are under threat of genetic erosion; (c) the definition of eligible operations under paragraph 9; and (d) the conditions applicable to commitments to make a positive contribution to the sustainability of the environment.

5

In Article 35—

• (a) for paragraph 8 substitute—

(8) Support shall be for a minimum period of one year determined by the appropriate authority.

• (b) for paragraph 10 substitute—

(10) The appropriate authority may make regulations to— (a) promote forms of co-operation in accordance with paragraph 1; (b) ensure the efficient use of support for rural development concerning the further specification of the characteristics of pilot projects, clusters, networks, short supply chains and local markets that will be eligible for support; (c) make conditions for granting aid to the types of operation listed in paragraph 2.

Signed

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs on 20th May 2025.

George Moffett — A senior officer of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations establish amendments to the Rural Development Regulation to allow the introduction of the Farming for Nature package by the Department.

Regulation 4 amends paragraphs 5 and 10 of Article 28 of the Rural Development Regulation.

Regulation 5 amends paragraphs 8 and 10 of Article 35 of the Rural Development Regulation.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2020 c. 21

[^f00002]: EUR 1305/2013

[^f00003]: 1954 c. 33

Editorial notes

[^key-bea1e59a4415091cb81ea6dcc3907387]: Reg. 1 in operation at 20.5.2025, see reg. 1

[^key-fdf8d33990e8e05a407b309887ba29c1]: Reg. 2 in operation at 20.5.2025, see reg. 1

[^key-7a81de10905d0f3f9081b3933c0edce3]: Reg. 3 in operation at 20.5.2025, see reg. 1

[^key-9187ff10f7da57c3f27523a87fb806db]: Reg. 4 in operation at 20.5.2025, see reg. 1

[^key-bf74ad5a5ef7679fa716c71761a02fa6]: Reg. 5 in operation at 20.5.2025, see reg. 1