1.Support under Article 39(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 may cover operations carried out by other beneficiaries than those referred to in Article 39(2) of that Regulation.
2.Activities entering in agri-environmental commitments referred to in Article 27(4) of this Regulation shall not be eligible for support under Article 39(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005.
No support shall be granted under Article 39(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 for activities eligible under the framework programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities.
3.The operations for the conservation of genetic resources in agriculture eligible for support under Article 39(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 shall include the following:
(a)targeted actions: actions promoting the ex situ and in situ conservation, characterisation, collection and utilisation of genetic resources in agriculture, including web-based inventories of genetic resources currently conserved in situ, including in situ/on-farm conservation, and of ex situ collections (gene banks) and databases;
(b)concerted actions: actions promoting the exchange of information for the conservation, characterisation, collection and utilisation of genetic resources in Community agriculture, among competent organisations in the Member States;
(c)accompanying actions: information, dissemination and advisory actions involving non-governmental organisations and other relevant stakeholders, training courses and the preparation of technical reports.
4.For the purposes of this Article, the following definitions shall apply:
(a)‘in situ conservation’ means the conservation of genetic material in ecosystems and natural habitats and the maintenance and recovery of viable population of species or feral breeds in their natural surroundings and, in the case of domesticated animal breeds or cultivated plant species, in the farmed environment where they have developed their distinctive properties;
(b)‘in situ/on-farm conservation’ means in situ conservation and development at farm level;
(c)‘ex situ conservation’ means the conservation of genetic material for agriculture outside their natural habitat;
(d)‘ex situ collection’ means a collection of genetic material for agriculture maintained outside their natural habitat.