Vocational Training Grants (Agriculture and Forestry) Regulations 2000 (S.I. No. 3045 of 2000).

These Regulations supplement the Community legislation listed in the Schedule to the Regulations. This Community legislation inter alia provides for support from the Guarantee Section of the EAGGF for vocational training in the agricultural and forestry sectors. The Regulations operate within the scope of these provisions to enable assistance to be paid for vocational training for those involved in agricultural and forestry activities or those involved in those sectors who wish to diversify into other activities either within or outside the agricultural and forestry sector. They implement a part of the England Rural Development Programme approved by the European Commission under Article 44 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/1999 and provide for the payment of financial assistance by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in respect of projects in accordance with that part of the ERDP which relates to support for vocational training pursuant to Article 9 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/1999. They are designed to benefit those involved in agricultural or forestry activities, or in the conversion of those activities to others either within or outside the sector (reg. 5). In addition, the Regulations provide for the making of claims for, and the payment of, financial assistance following approval (regs. 6 and 7) and also contain provisions creating obligations concerning the provision of information (reg. 8) and record-keeping (reg. 9).