Article 57
1.Rural development programmes may cover State aid intended to provide additional national funding in accordance with Article 89 of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 in favour of measures or operations falling within the scope of Article 36 of the Treaty only if the State aid is identified in accordance with point 9.A of Annex II to this Regulation.
2.Rural development programmes may cover State aid intended to provide financial contributions provided by Member States as counterpart of Community support in accordance with Article 88 of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 in favour of measures pursuant to Articles 25 and 52 of that Regulation and of operations under measures pursuant to Articles 28 and 29 of that Regulation or additional national funding in accordance with Article 89 of that Regulation in favour of the measures pursuant to Articles 25, 27 and 52 of that Regulation and of operations under measures pursuant to Articles 28 and 29 of that Regulation, falling outside the scope of Article 36 of the Treaty, only if the State aid is identified in accordance with point 9.B of Annex II to this Regulation.
3.Expenditure incurred for the measures and operations referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article shall be eligible only if the underlying aid does not constitute unlawful aid within the meaning of Article 1(f) of Council Regulation (EC) No 659/1999(1) at the time the aid is granted.
The managing authority or any other competent authority in the Member State shall ensure that where aid is to be granted to operations under the measures referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article on the basis of existing aid schemes within the meaning of Article 1(b) and (d) of Regulation (EC) No 659/1999, any applicable notification requirements for individual aid within the meaning of Article 1(e) of that Regulation are respected, and that such operations are selected only after notification of the underlying aid and approval by the Commission pursuant to Article 88(3) of the Treaty.