1.Member States shall make available support provided for in Article 36(a)(iv) throughout their territories, in accordance with their specific needs.
2.Agri-environment payments shall be granted to farmers who make on a voluntary basis agri-environmental commitments. Where duly justified to achieve environmental objectives, agri-environment payments may be granted to other land managers.
3.Agri-environment payments cover only those commitments going beyond the relevant mandatory standards established pursuant to Articles 4 and 5 of and Annexes III and IV to Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 as well as minimum requirements for fertiliser and plant protection product use and other relevant mandatory requirements established by national legislation and identified in the programme.
These commitments shall be undertaken as a general rule for a period between five and seven years. Where necessary and justified, a longer period shall be determined according to the procedure referred to in Article 90(2) for particular types of commitments.
[F1Member States may put an end to such commitments, without obligation for the beneficiary concerned to reimburse support already received, provided that:
(a) support under Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 is newly made available in the framework of which rules are applied which produce global agri-environmental effects equivalent to those of the agri-environmental measure which is closed;
(b) such support is not financially less favourable for the beneficiary concerned;
(c) the beneficiary concerned is informed of this possibility at the time he undertakes his commitments.]
4.The payments shall be granted annually and shall cover additional costs and income foregone resulting from the commitment made. Where necessary, they may cover also transaction cost.
Where appropriate, the beneficiaries may be selected on the basis of calls for tender, applying criteria of economic and environmental efficiency.
Support shall be limited to the maximum amount laid down in the [F2Annex I].
5.Support may be provided for the conservation of genetic resources in agriculture for operations not covered by the provisions under paragraphs 1 to 4.