1.Without prejudice to Article 39(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005, expenditure shall be eligible for a EAFRD contribution if the relevant aid is actually paid by the paying agency between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2015. Co-financed operations should not be completed before the eligibility starting date.
A new expenditure added at the moment of the modification of a programme referred to in Article 19, shall be eligible from the date of the reception by the Commission of the request for modification of the programme.
2.Expenditure shall be eligible for a EAFRD contribution only where incurred for operations decided on by the Managing Authority of the programme in question or under its responsibility, in accordance with the selection criteria fixed by the competent body.
3.The rules on eligibility of expenditure shall be set at national level, subject to the special conditions laid down by this Regulation for certain rural development measures.
The following costs are not eligible for a EAFRD contribution:
(a)VAT, except non-recoverable VAT when it is genuinely and definitively borne by beneficiaries other than non taxable persons referred to in Article 4(5), first subparagraph of the Sixth Council Directive 77/388/EEC of 17 May 1977 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to turnover taxes — Common system of value added tax: uniform basis of assessment(1);
(b)interest on debt, without prejudice to paragraph 5;
(c)the purchase of land costing more than 10 % of all the eligible expenditure on the operation concerned. In exceptional and duly justified cases, a higher percentage can be fixed for operations concerning environmental conservation.
4.Paragraphs 1 to 3 shall not apply to Article 66(1).
5.Notwithstanding paragraph 3(b) the contribution from the EAFRD may be made in a form other than a non-repayable direct assistance. Detailed rules shall be defined in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 90(2).
OJ L 145, 13.6.1977, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Directive 2004/66/EC (OJ L 168, 1.5.2004, p. 35).