   
  
G/AG/N/GBR/3  
 
1 March  2021 
(21-1749) Page: 1/6 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
NOTIFICATION  
The following submission, dated  1 March  2021, is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of the United Kingdom . The notification concerns new or modified domestic support measures 
exempt from reduction ( Table DS:2 ). 
 
_______________  
 
 
  
 
 G/AG/N/GBR/3  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Table DS:2  
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNITED KINGDOM  
Notification under Article 18:3 of the Agreement:  
New or modified domestic support measures exempt from reduction  
 
(1)  FULL TITLE OF MEASURE:  
Promoting Trees Outside Woodlands (Shared Outcomes Fund project).  
(2)  DOMESTIC LEGISLATION REFERENCE:  
N/A 
(3)  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF MEASURE WITH REFERENCE TO CRITERIA:  
Annex 2, paragraph 2(a): "research, including general research, research in connection with 
environmental programmes, and research programmes relating to particular products".  
Promoting Trees Outside Woodlands is a GBP 2.5 million r esearch project to investigate the most 
beneficial and cost -effective approaches to encouraging more trees across the landscape, 
information which will increase the positive impact of current and future grant schemes. Pilot studies 
will take place under th is project to investigate the effectiveness of different methods, to include 
planting or encouraging trees on agricultural land (e.g. hedgerow trees).  
Producers of products listed in Annex 1 of the Agreement on Agriculture will be eligible for 
Government -funded grants to pay for tree planting in some of these pilot studies and shall be 
reimbursed only for quantifiable and evidenced costs in respect of tree planting. This is an 
England -only scheme.   
(4)  COST OF MEASURE:  
The sum of grants available to produc ers of products listed in Annex 1 of the Agreement on 
Agriculture through this scheme is estimated to be not more than GBP 1 million.  
(5)  DATE OF ENTRY INTO EFFECT:  
4 January 2021.  
(6)  PERIOD OF APPLICATION:  
The project will have concluded by April 2023.  
(7)  PRODUCTS TO PRINCIPALLY BENEFIT (IF ANY INDIVIDUAL PRODUCT(S)):  
No specific products.  G/AG/N/GBR/3  
 
- 3 - 
 
  Table DS:2  
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNITED KINGDOM  
Notification under Article 18:3 of the Agreement:  
New or modified domestic support measures exempt from reduction  
 
(1)  FULL TITLE OF MEASURE:  
Countryside Stewardship scheme  
(2)  DOMESTIC LEGISLATION REFERENCE:  
The Countryside Stewardship (England) Regulations 2020, as amended by the Countryside 
Stewardship (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2021.  
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/42 /contents/made  
(3)  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF MEASURE WITH REFERENCE TO CRITERIA:  
Countryside Stewardship is an agri -environment, forestry and woodland scheme which provides 
funding for farmers and other land managers to make environmental improvements throu gh 
activities such as: conserving and restoring wildlife habitats; managing flood risk; creating and 
managing woodland; reducing water pollution and encouraging education access by hosting school 
visits.  
This scheme is a modification to the Countryside Ste wardship scheme, which was notified as green 
box to the WTO in 2020 in document G/AG/N/GBR/1. The scheme will continue to be delivered 
through a publicly -funded government environmental programme and funding will only be awarded 
to applicants who meet the eligibility criteria and wider conditions set out in this programme, in line 
with paragraphs 1 and 12(a) of Annex 2 of the Agreement on Agriculture.  The payment rates for the 
new funding activities have been calculated on the basis of income foregone, in l ine with 
paragraph  12(b) of Annex 2, and are consistent with the grants made under the previous iterations 
of the scheme.  
Countryside Stewardship initially operated (from 2015 to 2020) as part of the Rural Development 
Programme for England, under the Commo n Agricultural Policy, but in February last year (2020) 
reopened for new applications as a standalone domestic grant scheme which is UK Exchequer 
funded. The first of these new domestic agreements started on 1 January 2021.  
The intention is that the scheme  will open for applications at regular periods until 2023, with the 
final agreements starting in 2024. Agreements can last for 2, 5, 10 or 20 years.  
We have introduced some changes to the scheme this year:  
• From February, improving air quality will become a  scheme objective. Two new capital funding 
activities will be introduced to reduce ammonia emissions and some existing funding activities 
may be applied for based on their air quality benefits;  
 
• Two new fencing specifications will be eligible for funding to contribute to the creation and 
management of woodland;  
 
• The creation, management and restoration of wood pasture will be eligible for funding in the 
uplands, as well as the lowlands; and  
 
• Some of the conditions that must be met to allow an agreement to be transferred if the 
agreement holder loses management control of the land will be removed so that agreements 
that contain a mix of capital and management funding activities will be able to be transferred.  
  G/AG/N/GBR/3  
 
- 4 - 
 
  (4)  COST OF MEASURE:  
The anticipa ted costs of the Countryside Stewardship scheme are estimated at an average of 
GBP 130 million per annum, with an expected maximum annual spend of GBP  195 million in 2025 
when the highest number of grant agreements under the scheme will be live.  
(5)  DATE OF ENTRY INTO EFFECT:  
The changes were introduced on 9 February 2021, when a new application round for the scheme 
opened.  
(6)  PERIOD OF APPLICATION:  
From 2021 until 2044: all funding decisions will be made, and beneficiaries chosen by 2024, with 
payments being made to beneficiaries until 2044.  
(7)  PRODUCTS TO PRINCIPALLY BENEFIT (IF ANY INDIVIDUAL PRODUCT(S)):  
The support is not specific to an agricultural product.   
 G/AG/N/GBR/3  
 
- 5 - 
 
  Table DS:2  
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNITED KINGDOM  
Notification under Article 18:3 of the Agreement:  
New or modified domestic support measures exempt from reduction  
 
(1)  FULL TITLE OF MEASURE:  
Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF).  
(2)  DOMESTIC LEGISLATION REFERENCE:  
Grants under the NE IRF will be made under section 94 of the Natural Environment and Rural 
Communities Act 2006.  
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/16/contents   
(3)  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF MEASURE WITH REFERENCE TO CRITERIA:  
This measure is exempt from reduction commitments consistent with Annex 2, paragraph 11 of the 
Agreement on Agriculture regarding struct ural adjustment assistance provided through investment 
aids. There are clear criteria that identifies who could receive the funding and what the funding is 
aiming to achieve (identify and develop revenue streams from ecosystem services). The criteria 
have no link to agricultural production volumes or types, either at the point of providing the grant, 
or any ongoing requirement to commit to a change in activity (volumes, types of products produced) 
in order to access the grant. The NEIRF grants are a governm ent funded programme which does not 
in any way link to production or price support fulfilling Annex 2, paragraph 1.  
The Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF) will be a standalone technical 
assistance grant scheme, UK Exchequer funded and go verned by domestic legislation. The territorial 
application of this instrument is England only.  
Grants will be available for not -for-profit organisations, public bodies and business registered with 
HMRC, including sole traders, academic institutions, commu nity interest companies and community 
benefit companies.  These criteria could include farmers, woodland owners, foresters or other land 
managers.  
The aim of the fund is to support the development of projects that can support delivery of one or 
more natural  environmental outcomes from the government’s 25 Year Environment Plan1 and have 
the ability to generate revenues from ecosystem services in order to attract and repay investment. 
The aim is to increase the financing options available for natural environment projects.   
Grants will be provided to procure technical assistance support and advice from professional advisors 
to address barriers to revenue generation from ecosystem services and present compelling cases for 
potential investors. By exceptio n, grants can be used to develop ecosystem market enablers 
(e.g. ecosystem investment platforms, verification codes, aggregator vehicles).  
Individual grants of up to GBP 100,000 will be made available – in exceptional circumstances awards 
may exceed this a mount. Products and knowledge developed and gained through the Fund will be 
openly available for the benefit of others.  
The grants will be administered by the Environment Agency. The grants will be competitive, and 
applications judged to offer the greatest  benefit to the NEIRF aims will be offered an agreement. 
These will last for either 1 or 2 years depending on the specific activities applied for.  
 
1 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/25 -year-environment -plan G/AG/N/GBR/3  
 
- 6 - 
 
  More information can be found at:  
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply -for-a-grant -from-the-natural -environment -
investment -readiness -fund 
(4)  COST OF MEASURE:  
The anticipated cost of the NEIRF for three years is GBP 9.5  million, of this GBP 1.5 million will be 
spent on administration and evaluation costs.  
(5)  DATE OF ENTRY INTO EFFECT:  
10 February 2021.  
(6)  PERIOD OF APPLICATION:  
The NEIRF will run for 3 years ending in March 2024.   
(7)  PRODUCTS TO PRINCIPALLY BENEFIT  (IF ANY INDIVIDUAL PRODUCT(S)):  
The support is not specific to an agricultural product.   
 
__________  