Environmentally Sensitive Areas Designation Order (Northern Ireland) 2001 (S.R. No. 269 of 2001).

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has the power to designate areas as environmentally sensitive areas where it appears to it particularly desirable to conserve, protect or enhance environmental features in those areas by the maintenance or adoption of particular agricultural methods. This Order designates certain areas of land as environmentally sensitive areas The Department may enter into an agreement with any person having an interest in agricultural land in a designated area by which that person agrees in consideration of payments to be made by the Department to manage the land in accordance with the agreement. This Order specifies the requirements as to agricultural practices, methods and operations which must be included in agreements. It also specifies the matters in respect of which the Department may make payments and the maximum rate of those payments (art. 4 and Schedules 2 to 5). This Order gives effect in part to the agri-environment element of the programming document based on the rural development plan for Northern Ireland submitted by the United Kingdom to the European Commission pursuant to Article 41 of the Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/1999.