Apply for a partner number from the Organisme Payeur de Wallonie

Any farmer, so any natural or legal person or group of natural or legal persons carrying out an agricultural activity in Wallonia:

• production of plants and plant products;
• production of animals and animal products;
• livestock farming;
• horticulture;
• aquaculture;
• beekeeping;
• maintenance of land in good agricultural and environmental condition.

The CONDITIONS TO BE MET in order to obtain your partner number as a farmer are:

1. Not have another partner number for the same entity or natural/legal person.

2. Be an independent manager of the production units making up your holding:

• you manage your holding under your own responsibility and for your own account
• your holding’s production is individualised, identifiable and distinct from that of other holdings
• you manage your means of production exclusively from any other farmer

3. Comply with the identification standards for livestock animals:

• declare all herds present in your production units
• remain compliant with animal identification obligations
• request or renew the certificate of compliance for manure storage infrastructure
  • when creating or modifying a herd
  • when taking over a production unit
  • if livestock numbers increase significantly (+15%) during the year
  • every 5 years

WHAT ARE YOU COMMITTING TO?

You undertake:

• to comply with the conditions that enabled you to obtain a P number
• to notify the OPW of any error or change in your identification data, personal data or production unit data
• to report the cessation of your agricultural activity
• to submit an annual single declaration covering all your parcels
• to accept inspections:
  • under cross-compliance requirements
  • on-site inspections under CAP aid schemes requiring a partner number

The P number allows you to access aid applications online via the Guichet de l'Agriculture de Wallonie or via CAP on Web.

For more information on regional and European aid, consult the page of the Agriculture Portal dedicated to aid.

APPLICATION FOR A P NUMBER

1-Submission of the application to the OPW

Send your application to the External Department of the OPW of the SPW ARNE where you live!

The OPW will ask you to provide various data, such as:

• your identification data:
  • company number if you have one
  • name
  • legal form
  • legal status
  • language
• your personal data:
  • postal address
  • contact data: phone, mobile, fax, email
  • IBAN and BIC numbers of your bank account, as well as your bank identification statement (RIB document)
• information about your production:
  • the address(es) of your production unit(s);
  • if applicable, your herd identification number(s) and their address(es);
  • a brief description of your production resources/facilities.

2-Processing of your application by the OPW

As each request is specific, the OPW's external department does its utmost to process them within a reasonable time frame. It checks that your application is complete and consistent, that it complies with the retroactivity rules, and that it takes care of the findings and risks. It also carries out an on-site visit to verify your production facilities and ensure that the conditions for obtaining the P number are met.

There are then two options:

1. Your application needs to be completed and the OPW will get back to you for additional information so that your application can be processed again and possibly modified.
2. Your application is rejected because it is inconsistent, incomplete or inadmissible. In this event, you may appeal to the Director of the OPW

3-Validation of your application by the OPW

When your application is complete and meets the conditions set out in the “Conditions” section, it is approved by the OPW, which will then provide you with your P number.

• Regulation (EU) 2021/2115
• Walloon Agriculture Code (version coordinated by SPW ARNE)
• Ministerial Decree of 17 December 2015 on the identification of partners and the independent management of farms and amending the Ministerial Decree of 23 April 2015 executing the decree of the Walloon Government of 12 February 2015 executing the system of direct payments to farmers
• Decree of the Walloon Government of 17 December 2015 on the identification for the integrated management and testing system, the attribution of a farmer number, amending the Decree of the Walloon Government of 12 February 2015 implementing the direct payment scheme for farmers and amending the Decree of the Walloon Government of 7 May 2015 granting coupled support to farmers for female beef cattle, mixed cows, dairy cows and ewes (unofficial coordination by the SPW ARNE)

APPEAL AGAINST THE DECISION TAKEN BY THE OPW

You may lodge an appeal with the Director of the Organisme payeur de Wallonie within 60 calendar days of either:

• the day after the filing of this decision
• the day after the filing of a notice from the postal services indicating this dispatch

There are several ways to send your appeal to the OPW:

• by dated and signed email sent to info.opw@spw.wallonie.be
• by registered mail to Mr Olivier Dekyvere, Chaussée de Louvain, 14, 5000 Namur
•  by courier sent by private companies with acknowledgement of receipt to Mr  Olivier DEKYVERE, Chaussée de Louvain, 14, 5000 Namur
• by lodging a notice with acknowledgement of receipt to Mr Olivier Dekyvere, Chaussée de Louvain, 14, 5000 Namur

The OPW will acknowledge receipt of your appeal. Your appeal is encoded in a system that ensures its traceability, as well as its optimal follow-up between the agents in charge of analysing your appeal and the hierarchy, which must validate the response to your appeal on two occasions.

If you disagree with the OPW's response to your appeal, you may file an appeal with the Supreme Administrative Court of Belgium.