Skip to content
PhytAI
Sign in
Duties

GAEC 7 crop rotation in Germany 2026: rules and exemptions

GAEC 7 requires two main crops in three years and a 33 per cent annual change. What applies in Germany in 2026, which exemptions exist and what Omnibus III changes.

PhytAI editorial teamPublished 8 min read

Key points

  • Three-year rule: each arable field must carry at least two different main crops within three consecutive years.
  • 33 per cent rule: on at least 33 per cent of the arable land the main crop changes every year, or a catch crop that remains until 31 December is grown before the same main crop.
  • New in 2026: mixed crops with maize count as the main crop maize from application year 2026.
  • Exemptions: among others farms with up to 10 hectares of arable land, seed maize, tobacco and rye grown continuously, green fodder and fallow, and certified organic farms.
  • In progress: a government bill of 29 July 2026 would exempt farms of up to 30 hectares from GAEC 7 inspections and sanctions.

Try PhytAI free for 30 days

  • No payment details needed
  • Export all your data as CSV, JSON and Shapefile at any time
  • from €59.00 a year
Try free for 30 days

Farms receiving direct payments must meet the standards for good agricultural and environmental condition, known as GAEC (GLÖZ in German). Standard GAEC 7 governs crop rotation on arable land. In Germany it is set out in section 18 of the CAP Conditionality Ordinance (GAPKondV). There are two changes for 2026: mixed crops with maize now count as maize, and at EU level smaller farms are to be exempted from inspections. This article explains the rules, the exemptions and how farms can show crop rotation field by field.

What counts as a main crop

According to the conditionality brochure of the Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia, the main crop is the crop that stands longest on the field between 1 June and 15 July. Crops are generally distinguished by botanical genus: wheat, barley and potatoes are different main crops. For brassicas, nightshades and cucurbits each species counts separately. Grass and other green fodder plants form a main crop of their own.

Important for planning: winter and spring crops count as different main crops, even if they belong to the same genus. Winter wheat after spring wheat is therefore a change. Spelt also counts as a separate main crop from wheat. Mixed crops dominated by large-seeded legumes count as one main crop, other mixed crops as "other mixed crop".

The three-year rule

Section 18 GAPKondV requires that at least two different main crops are grown on every arable field within three consecutive years. Anyone who grows winter wheat on the same field three years in a row breaks the rule unless an exemption applies.

The Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia points out that compliance is checked field by field for all areas. The farm average does not matter; each individual field is assessed over three years. Farms that split, merge or reshape fields should assign the previous years' crops carefully.

The 33 per cent rule

In addition, the main crop must change every year on at least 33 per cent of a farm's arable land. Alternatively it is sufficient if, before the same main crop is grown again, a catch crop is established according to good practice and remains on the field at least until the end of 31 December. The Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia also mentions undersown crops alongside catch crops.

A worked example from the brochure: a farm with 100 hectares of arable land grows 10 hectares of seed maize. From the second year this area is disregarded, and the rule then applies to 90 hectares. On at least 29.7 hectares the main crop must change or a catch crop must be grown; on up to 60.3 hectares the same main crop as in the previous year may follow, but no longer in the third year.

New in 2026: maize mixed crops count as maize

From application year 2026 all mixed crops with maize are counted as the main crop maize. The rule applies going forward, not retroactively. The brochure gives two examples:

  • Allowed: 2024 maize mixed crop, 2025 maize mixed crop, 2026 maize, 2027 maize. Up to and including 2025 the maize mixed crop was a main crop of its own, so there are no three consecutive years of maize.
  • Not allowed: 2024 maize, 2025 maize, 2026 maize mixed crop. In 2026 the mixed crop counts as maize, so maize is grown three times in a row.

Exemptions

Under section 18 GAPKondV and the brochure of the Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia:

  • Crops grown continuously: maize for certified seed, tobacco and rye are exempt.
  • Areas without a rotation duty: permanent crops such as strawberries, grass or other green fodder, fallow land, grass seed production, turf and small-seeded legumes as long as they dominate.
  • Bed cultivation: where different vegetables, culinary herbs, medicinal, spice or ornamental plants are grown in beds, and on scientific trial plots, the duty counts as met.
  • Small farms: farms with up to 10 hectares of arable land.
  • Fodder and grassland farms: farms with up to 50 hectares of remaining arable land if more than 75 per cent of the arable land is green fodder, legumes, fallow or a combination, or if more than 75 per cent of the eligible area is permanent grassland or green fodder.
  • Organic farms: for farms certified under Regulation (EU) 2018/848, crop rotation counts as met and they are not inspected for GAEC 7.

Separately, farms with no more than 10 hectares of agricultural land have been exempt from conditionality inspections and sanctions since 14 May 2024. The obligations themselves still apply to them.

Omnibus III: 30 hectares and farms in conversion

With Regulation (EU) 2025/2649 of 19 December 2025, known as Omnibus III, the EU simplified conditionality. Farms of up to 30 hectares are to be exempted from GAEC 7 inspections and sanctions. The Bavarian Farmers' Association relates the limit to arable land, the brochure of the Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia to agricultural area; the German legal text will be decisive. According to the Farmers' Association, farms in conversion to organic farming are also to meet several GAEC standards automatically.

For German farms these simplifications only become binding once they are transposed into national law. On 29 July 2026 the Federal Government introduced a bill in the Bundestag adapting the CAP Conditionality Act to Regulation (EU) 2025/2649 (printed paper 21/7407). The bill expressly mentions exempting farms of up to 30 hectares from inspections and administrative sanctions under GAEC 7. Until it is promulgated, the previous legal situation applies. Follow the guidance of your chamber of agriculture.

Evidence: what an inspection wants to see

The check is based on the main crops declared in the area aid applications of recent years. Problems usually arise where fields have changed or catch crops cannot be shown. Useful evidence includes a field list with the main crop per year covering at least three years, the sowing date and mixture of every catch crop, a mapping of previous years' areas for split or merged fields, and evidence for exemptions such as the share of green fodder.

Common mistakes

  • maize in 2024 and 2025, a maize mixed crop planned as a break in 2026
  • catch crop ploughed in before 31 December
  • main crop determined by sowing date instead of the period from 1 June to 15 July
  • field reshaped, previous crops not carried over
  • relying on the 30-hectare limit before it applies nationally

How to proceed on the farm

  1. Check the crop plan: for each field, put the main crops of the last two years next to the plan for next year.
  2. Calculate the share: determine on what percentage of arable land the main crop changes or a catch crop is grown.
  3. Record catch crops: enter sowing, mixture and incorporation date as field operations.
  4. Document exemptions: record area shares and farm size for the application year.
  5. Follow the legal status: before the next application, check whether the 30-hectare rule has been promulgated in Germany.

GAEC 7 in PhytAI

PhytAI reads the main crop per field and year from crop planning and crop cycles and shows a notice where the data calls for a closer look: the same main crop three times, a share below 33 per cent or years without information. Winter and spring forms are treated as different main crops, maize mixed crops count as maize from 2026, and rye grown continuously is exempt. Catch crops count when they are recorded as a field operation. Farm details such as organic status and green fodder share lead to the notice "exemption possible"; both versions, 10 and 30 hectares, are shown side by side. PhytAI is not an approval; the application, the paying agency and your advisor remain decisive.

Frequently asked questions

Is winter wheat after spring wheat a change? Yes. Winter and spring crops count as different main crops, even within the same genus.

Does GAEC 7 also apply to grassland? No, the standard concerns arable land. Permanent grassland is covered by other GAEC standards.

What happens in case of a breach? Breaches of conditionality can lead to reductions of direct payments. The amount depends on severity, extent, duration and repetition.

Sources

This article reflects the situation on the date shown, based on the sources named, and is not legal advice. Laws, approvals, official decisions and the guidance of the competent authorities prevail.

Related articles

All articles on the blog