Summary
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA/the Department) sought views on a proposal to bring forward new legislation that would provide scope to amend the legislation that governs two legacy EU schemes, the Fruit and Vegetable Aid (FVAS) and Agri-food Information and Promotions Schemes (Promotions Schemes).
Documents
- Consultation on a Proposed Bill to Amend Legacy EU Common Market Organisation (CMO) Schemes
- Draft Section 75 Screen
- Draft Rural Needs Impact Assessment
- Summary of Outcome of Consultation
- Consultation Responses
Consultation description
Full details of the FVAS can be found at the link below:
The Department consulted on a proposal to bring forward a small ‘Bill’, which is the name given to proposed law when introduced into the Assembly and then (after debate and approval by MLAs and then Royal Assent), becomes law as an ‘Act’. The proposal was to bring forward a Bill which would make legacy Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme (FVAS) funding discretionary and provide the Department with the scope to amend the law governing that scheme and also the legacy Agri-food Information and Promotion Scheme, so that they can be amended as needed to reflect future policy developments.
It was this narrow proposal that the Department specifically sought views on in the consultation. Stakeholders were also invited to consider the equality and rural impacts of the proposal.
Further details can be found in the consultation document.
Outcome of Consultation
Seven written responses were received which have been summarised and analysed, which can be viewed in the Summary of Outcome consultation document above, along with the copies of the stakeholders' comments in full.
As set out in the summary, having considered all the comments provided, it was planned to bring forward legislation that would, as consulted on, make FVAS funding discretionary and provide powers to further amend the law governing FVAS and promotions schemes.
The Minister subsequently introduced the legislation on 25 November 2024. The Assembly Committee Stage formally concluded on 23 May 2025 with publication of the Bill Report:
Further information on the AERA Committee’s scrutiny of the Bill can be found at the link below:
- Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs - Primary legislation (NI Assembly website)
The Bill completed its Final Stage in the Assembly on 30 June 2025, and full details of the legislation’s (Bill) passage through the Assembly can be found at the link below:
A press release on the Bill can be seen at the link below:
The Bill received Royal Assent on 16 September 2025 and came into operation the following day as “The Agriculture Act (Northern Ireland) 2025”. Full details can be found at the link below:
Ways to respond
Consultation closed — responses are no longer being accepted.