A part of the Community assistance for the projects listed in the Annex may be granted through a contribution to an appropriate instrument under the resources of the European Investment Bank. That contribution shall not exceed EUR 500 000 000.

The Community exposure to the loan guarantee instrument or other financing instrument, including management fees and other eligible costs, shall be limited to the amount of the Community contribution to that instrument and there shall be no further liability on the general budget of the European Union.

The Commission, acting in accordance with the management procedure referred to in Article 26(2), shall decide on the amount of EEPR assistance to be granted to that instrument. The Commission and the European Investment Bank shall conclude a memorandum of understanding specifying the conditions and the methods for the implementation of that decision.

Calls for proposals shall be directly launched by the Commission on the basis of budgetary availabilities referred to in Article 3(1) and the eligibility, selection and award criteria set out in Chapter II.

EEPR assistance shall cover only project-related expenditure incurred by the beneficiaries and, as regards projects under Article 9, also by third parties responsible for the implementation of a project. Expenditure may be eligible from the date referred to in Article 29.

VAT shall not be an eligible cost, except for non-refundable VAT.

Projects and actions financed under this Regulation shall be carried out in accordance with Community law and shall take into account any relevant Community policies, in particular those relating to competition including the applicable State aid rules, protection of the environment, health, sustainable development and public procurement.

The Commission shall ensure that, when actions financed under this Regulation are implemented, the financial interests of the Community are protected by the application of preventive measures against fraud, corruption and any other illegal activities, by effective checks and by the recovery of amounts unduly paid and, if irregularities are detected, by effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties, in accordance with Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95, Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 and with Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999.

For the Community actions financed under this Regulation, the notion of irregularity referred to in Article 1(2) of Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 shall mean any infringement of a provision of Community law or any breach of a contractual obligation resulting from an act or omission by an economic operator, which has, or would have, the effect of prejudicing the general budget of the European Union or budgets managed by it, by an unjustified item of expenditure.

All implementing measures resulting from this Regulation shall provide, in particular, for supervision and financial control by the Commission or any representative authorised by it, and by audits by the European Court of Auditors, including, if necessary, on-the-spot audits.