Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/766 of 14 May 2019 derogating from Implementing Regulation (EU) No 809/2014 as regards the final date of submission of the single application, aid applications or payment claims, the final date for notification of amendments to the single application or payment claim and the final date for applications for allocation of payment entitlements or the increase of the value of payment entitlements under the basic payment scheme for the year 2019

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 352/78, (EC) No 165/94, (EC) No 2799/98, (EC) No 814/2000, (EC) No 1290/2005 and (EC) No 485/2008⁽¹⁾, and in particular point (b) of the first paragraph and the second paragraph of Article 78 thereof,

Whereas:

1. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 809/2014⁽²⁾ provides for the final date of submission of the single application, aid applications or payment claims, for the final date for notification of amendments to the single application or payment claim and for the final date for submission of applications for allocation of payment entitlements or the increase of the value of payment entitlements under the basic payment scheme.

2. Member States are implementing changes to their administrative system for area-based payments resulting from the new obligations arising in the context of the General Data Protection Regulation⁽³⁾, involving, inter alia, a reorganisation of the information technology systems, changes to procedures and awareness-raising activities towards beneficiaries to inform them of the new legal requirements. As a result, exceptional administrative difficulties have been encountered in Member States.

3. That situation has affected the possibility of beneficiaries to submit the single application, aid applications or payment claims and applications for allocation of payment entitlements or the increase of the value of payment entitlements under the basic payment scheme within the time limits provided for in Articles 13(1) and 22(1) of Implementing Regulation (EU) No 809/2014.

4. In view of that situation, it is appropriate to provide for a derogation from Articles 13(1) and 22(1) of Implementing Regulation (EU) No 809/2014 which enables Member States to fix for the year 2019 a final date of submission of the single application, aid applications or payment claims and a final date for submission of applications for allocation of payment entitlements or the increase of the value of payments entitlements under the basic payment scheme that are later than those provided for in those Articles. Since the dates and periods referred to in Articles 11(4), 15(2) and (2a) of Implementing Regulation (EU) No 809/2014 are linked to the final date provided for in Article 13(1) of that Regulation, a similar derogation should be provided for the notification of the results of preliminary checks and of amendments to the single application or payment claim.

5. Since those derogations should cover the single application, aid applications and payment claims, amendments to the single application or payment claim and applications for allocation of payment entitlements for the year 2019, it is appropriate that this Regulation applies to applications and payment claims relating to the year 2019.

6. The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Direct Payments and the Committee for Rural Development,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: