Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Rural Stewardship Scheme (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2003 and shall come into force on 30th June 2003.

Amendment to the Rural Stewardship Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2001

2.—(1) The Rural Stewardship Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2001(2) are amended in accordance with the following paragraph of this regulation.

(2) In Schedule 4 (rates of payment for activities), in Part I (management activities), for item 10 (management of ancient wood pasture)(3) substitute–

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Rural Stewardship Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2001 (“the principal Regulations”), which implement Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1750/1999 (O.J. No. L 214, 13.8.99, p.31) which prescribes detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/1999 (O.J. No. L 160, 26.6.99, p.80) on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund. The principal Regulations extend to Scotland only.

The principal Regulations provide for payments of aid to be made to any person who enters into an undertaking with the Scottish Ministers to comply with the general environmental requirements set out in Schedule 1 and to carry out, or as the case may be, to carry out and maintain, at least one of either the management activities set out in Schedule 2 or the capital activities set out in Schedule 3 to the principal Regulations.

Schedule 4 to the principal Regulations makes provision for rates of payment for management and capital activities. These Regulations amend item 10 in Schedule 4 (management of ancient wood pasture) to make provision for a rate of payment per hectare for rough grazings and improved and unimproved grassland (regulation 2(2)).