1.Member States may permit producer organisations to apply for an advance payment of a part of the aid. That advance payment shall correspond to the forecast expenditure resulting from the operational programme during the three or four-month period starting in the month in which the application for an advance payment is submitted.
Member States shall provide for conditions to ensure that financial contributions to the operational fund have been levied in accordance with Articles 24 and 25 and previous advance payments and the corresponding producer organisation contribution have actually been spent.
2.Applications for the release of securities may be submitted during the current programme year and shall be accompanied by supporting documents, such as invoices and documents proving that payment has been made.
Securities shall be released in respect of up to 80 % of advances paid.
3.In the event of failure to comply with the operational programmes or of serious failure to meet the obligations provided for in Article 5(b) and (c) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/892 the security shall be forfeited, without prejudice to other administrative penalties to be applied in accordance with Section 3 of Chapter V of this Title.
In the event of failure to comply with other requirements, the security shall be forfeited in proportion to the gravity of the irregularity that has been established.
1.If a producer organisation or association of producer organisations ceases to implement its operational programme before the end of its scheduled duration, no further payments shall be made to that organisation or association for actions implemented after the date of cessation.
2.Aid received for eligible actions carried out before the cessation of the operational programme shall not be recovered, provided that:
(a)the producer organisation or association of producer organisations complied with the recognition criteria and the objectives of the actions laid down in the operational programme have been fulfilled at the moment of cessation; and
(b)the investments financed with support from the operational fund are maintained in the possession of and used by the producer organisation, association of producer organisations or its subsidiaries complying with the 90 % requirement referred to in Article 22(8) or its members at least until the end of their depreciation period as referred to in Article 31(5). Otherwise, the Union financial assistance paid to finance those investments shall be recovered and reimbursed to the EAGF.
3.Union financial assistance for multiannual commitments, such as environmental actions, where their long term objectives and expected benefits cannot be realised because of the interruption of the measure shall be recovered and reimbursed to the EAGF.
4.This Article shall apply mutatis mutandis in case of voluntary discontinuity of recognition, withdrawal of recognition or dissolution of the producer organisation or association of producer organisations.
5.Unduly paid aid shall be recovered in accordance with Article 67.