Cross-compliance represents, within the European Union, all the commitments that farmers must respect (condition) for access to direct Community aid. With the reform of the Community Agricultural Policy (CAP) the premiums are no longer tied to production, in order to benefit the producer is obliged to comply with commitments relating to food safety, the environment, the hygiene and welfare of the animals and the proper maintenance of the land and the characteristic features of the landscape.
These obligations have been in force for some time within the U.E., but only since 2005 compliance with these obligations is a “condition” necessary to receive direct aid, hence the term “CONDITIONALITY”
Cross-compliance applies through a set of ACTS, called Mandatory Management Criteria (C.G.O.) and STANDARDS, defined as Good 5 Agronomic and Environmental Conditions (B.C.A.A.), that agricultural holdings must comply in order to qualify for direct payments.
Agricultural holdings which have requested payment of aid are subject to checks by the competent paying agencies Failure to comply with cross-compliance gives rise to “irregularities”, which are classified according to severity and duration. As a result of infringements committed, the premium on aid applications is reduced from 5% to 20%