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CHAPTER IIIRural development measures

Section 2Common provisions for several measures

Article 44

1.Where all or part of a holding of the beneficiary is transferred to another person during the period for which a commitment given as a condition for the grant of assistance runs, that other person may take over the commitment for the remainder of the period. If the commitment is not taken over, the beneficiary shall reimburse the assistance granted.

2.Member States may choose not to require the reimbursement referred to in paragraph 1 in the following cases:

(a)where a beneficiary who has already honoured a significant part of the commitment concerned definitively ceases agricultural activities and it is not feasible for a successor to take over the commitment;

(b)where the transfer of a part of the holding of a beneficiary occurs during a period of extension of the commitment in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 27(12) and the transfer does not concern more than 50 % of the area covered by the commitment before the extension.

3.In the event of minor changes to the situation of a holding, Member States may take specific measures to ensure that the application of paragraph 1 does not lead to inappropriate results as regards the commitment entered into.