The Farm Sustainability Standards (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025

Made: 28th November 2025

Coming into operation: 1st January 2026

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 48 and 50(3)(a) of, and paragraph 5 of Schedule 6 to, the Agriculture Act 2020[^f00001], makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Farm Sustainability Standards (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 and come into operation on 1st January 2026.

• (2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954[^f00002] shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

Amendment of the Farm Sustainability Standards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025

2

• (1) The Farm Sustainability Standards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025[^f00003] are amended as follows.

• (2) In regulation 2(2) for “the Schedule” substitute “Schedule 1”.

• (3) In the heading to Schedule 1, below the words “SCHEDULE 1” insert “PART 1”.

• (4) In Schedule 1 –

• (a) the paragraphs numbered 12,13 and 14 are re-numbered 1, 2 and 3 respectively;

• (b) in paragraph 1(6), as renumbered, substitute -

“Article 94

Obligations relating to farm sustainability standards environmental protection requirements

• (c) in paragraph 1(7), as renumbered, substitute –

(7) In Article 96 – (a) in paragraph 3, for “this Title” substitute “Schedule 1, Part 1”; (b) in paragraph 4, for “this Title” substitute “Schedule 1, Part 1”.

• (d) in paragraph 1(9), as renumbered, for the inserted Article 99 substitute –

(2) (a) The minimum penalty to be applied in respect of any non-compliance determined shall be the sending of a warning letter by or on behalf of the competent authority and completion of mandatory training. (b) The maximum penalty to be applied shall not exceed 100% of all payments made or due to be made in the scheme year in which that recurrence was determined and exclusion from payment from all schemes for the two scheme years immediately following.

• (e) in paragraph 2(4), as renumbered, in the first line omit “at”;

• (f) in paragraph 3(3), as renumbered, substitute -

(3) In Article 65(1)(d), omit from “extent” to the end of the sentence.

• (g) in paragraph 3(4), as renumbered, in Article 67(1)(b), after “this Title” insert “as amended from time to time;”

• (h) in paragraph 3(7), as renumbered, in Article 71, in the second subparagraph of paragraph 2, after “this Title” insert “as amended from time to time.”;

• (i) in paragraph 3(8)(b), as renumbered, in Article 72, in paragraph 4 –

• (i) omit the first subparagraph;

• (ii) in the second subparagraph omit from “or co-ordinating authority” to the end of the subparagraph;

• (iii) in the third subparagraph omit from “or co-ordinating authority” to the end of the subparagraph;

• (j) in paragraph 3(10), as renumbered, for subparagraph (b) substitute –

(b) in paragraph 1 – (i) in the first subparagraph, omit “negligent”; (ii) in the second subparagraph, omit “percentages of” and the words from “However,” to the end of the subparagraph.

Signed

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs on 28th November 2025.

Anna Campbell — 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 are made in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 48 and 50(3)(a) of, and paragraph 5 of Schedule 6 to, the Agriculture Act2020 (c.21)in order to make miscellaneous amendments and corrections to The Farm Sustainability Standards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 (SR2025 No.165).

Regulation 2 makes miscellaneous amendments and corrections. In particular, an amendment has been made to remove the first paragraph of Article 74(1) of the Implementing Regulation.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2020 c.21

[^f00002]: 1954 c.33 (N.I)

[^f00003]: S.R.2025 No.165

Editorial notes

[^key-9e07991ee8ffc27b68c468b1f082d340]: Reg. 2 in operation at 1.1.2026, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-90e814c4429b2aaada9988e644a79225]: Reg. 1 in operation at 1.1.2026, see reg. 1(1)