Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 640/2014Show full title

Article 35 U.K. Non-compliance with the eligibility criteria other than the size of area or number of animals, commitments or other obligations

1. The support claimed shall be refused or withdrawn in full where the eligibility criteria are not complied with.

2. The support claimed shall be refused or be withdrawn in full or in part where the following commitments or other obligations are not complied with:

(a)

commitments established in the rural development programme; or

(b)

where relevant, other obligations of the operation established by Union or national law or established in the rural development programme, in particular public procurement, State aid and other obligatory standards and requirements.

3. When deciding on the rate of refusal or withdrawal of support following the non-compliance with the commitments or other obligations referred to in paragraph 2, the Member State shall take account of the severity, extent, duration and reoccurrence of the non-compliance related to conditions for support referred to in paragraph 2.

The severity of the non-compliance shall depend, in particular, on the importance of the consequences of the non-compliance, taking into account the objectives of the commitments or obligations that were not met.

The extent of the non-compliance shall depend, in particular, on its effect on the operation as a whole.

The duration shall depend, in particular, on the length of time for which the effect lasts or the possibility of terminating this effect by reasonable means.

The reoccurrence shall depend on whether similar non-compliances have been found earlier during the last four years or during the whole programming period 2014-2020 in case of the same beneficiary and the same measure or type of operation or in the case of the programming period 2007-2013, the similar measure.

4. In case of multiannual commitments or payments, withdrawals based on the criteria referred to in paragraph 3 shall also apply to the amounts already paid in the previous years for the same operation.

5. In case the overall assessment based on the criteria referred to in paragraph 3 leads to establishing a serious non-compliance, the support shall be refused or withdrawn in full. Furthermore, the beneficiary shall be excluded from the same measure or type of operation for the calendar year of the finding and for the following calendar year.

6. Where it is established that the beneficiary provided false evidence for the purpose of receiving the support or failed to provide the necessary information due to negligence, the support shall be refused or withdrawn in full. Furthermore, the beneficiary shall be excluded from the same measure or type of operation for the calendar year of finding and for the following calendar year.

7. If the withdrawals and administrative penalties referred to in paragraphs 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 cannot be fully off-set in the course of the three calendar years following the calendar year of the finding, in accordance with the rules laid down by the Commission on the basis of Article 57(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013, the outstanding balance shall be cancelled.