Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 as regards specific measures under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) to provide additional assistance to Member States affected by natural disasters
Date: 2024-10-21
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: EAFRD, EAGF, EU Member State, agricultural expenditure, aid to agriculture, eligibility criteria, natural disaster

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 21.10.2024  COM(2024) 495 final 2024/0274 (COD)  Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 as regards specific measures under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) to provide additional assistance to Member States affected by natural disasters  
 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

• 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

Reasons for and objectives of the proposal 

The recent natural disasters in Central and Eastern as well as in Southern Europe have had a 
devastating effect on the populations living and working in these regions. A lot of agricultural 
and forestry production potential has been destroyed, causing huge losses of income. In order 
to  quickly  address  vulnerabilities  of  the  European  food  system  and  rural  communities 
resulting  from  these  disasters,  Europe  needs  to  be  able  to  rapidly  deploy  effective  support 
through  the  Rural  Development  Programmes  in  addition  to  ressources  available  from  other 
European Funds. 

The  Common  Agricultural  Policy  (CAP)  already  provides  support  for  investments  in 
restoration of agricultural and forestry potential and income support. However, these support 
measures  may  be  underfunded  in  face  of  the  needs  of  farmers  and  foresters  in  countries 
affected by natural disasters.  

In order to provide additional assistance and further flexibility to Member States affected by 
natural disasters, the Commission proposes a new measure and more flexibility in relation to 
the  non-regression  threshold  for  a  budgetary  reinforcement  of  investments  in  restoration  of 
agricultural potential as well as for funding the new measure. 

The  new  measure,  funded  by  the  European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development 
(EAFRD) and implemented under  rural  development  programmes, allows Member States to 
provide  targeted  liquidity  support  to  farmers,  forest  holders,  SMEs  active  in  processing, 
marketing  or  development  of  agricultural  or  forestry  products  affected  by  natural  disasters 
occurring as of 1 January 2024.  

By  directly  and  swiftly  addressing  the  cash-flow  challenges  of  affected  businesses,  the 
support  through  the  new  measure  will  contribute  to  food  security  and  address  upfront  the 
potential  market  disturbance  due  to  the  impact  of  the  natural  disasters.  In  order  to  achieve 
these  goals  while  providing  for  a  reasonably  simple  administration  allowing  swift 
deployment, the support will take the form of a one-off lump sum for farmers, forest holders 
and SMEs.  

In  addition,  investments  in  restoration  of  agricultural  potential  should  be  reinforced  by 
providing  more  budgetary  flexibilities  as  regards  the  non-regression  threshold  in  using 
EAFRD funds.  

In  this  context,  while  providing  for  budgetary  flexibility  as  regards  the  non-regression 
threshold,  it  is  important  to  continue  and  reinforce  the  planned  investments  and  actions  in 
disaster prevention and preparedness, as well as climate adaptation to mitigate the impact of 
the increasingly frequent climate-induced disasters. Restoration efforts and liquidity payments 
should  be  balanced  as  much  as  possible  with  the  need  to  pursue  currently  foreseen 
investments and actions in disaster prevention and preparedness. 

Further, with a view to  ensuring the most efficient use of resources available under existing 
rural development programmes, Member States will be required to substantiate  the targeting 
of the new support measure to those most affected, based on objective and non-discriminatory 
criteria. Moreover, a maximum share of the Union contribution to this new measure should be 
fixed.  

As regards the process, Member States would need to include the new measure or the planned 
reallocation of funding in the rural development programmes via a programme modification. 

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This  submission  of  the programme  modification  can  take  place  after  the  entry  into  force  of 
this proposal. 

• 

Consistency with existing policy provisions in the policy area 

The  proposal  is  consistent  with  the  overall  legal  framework  established  for  the  Common 
Agricultural Policy and the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) and is limited 
to a targeted amendment of Regulation (EU) 2020/2220. The proposal complements all other 
measures  aimed  at  addressing  the  current  situation  taken  by  the  Union,  in  particular  those 
measures aimed at providing liquidity.  

• 

Consistency with other Union policies 

The proposal is limited to targeted amendments of Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 and maintains 
consistency with other Union policies. 

2. 

• 

LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY 

Legal basis 

The proposal is based on 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. 

• 

Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence)  

The  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union  provides  that  the  competence  for 
agriculture is shared between the Union and the Member States, while establishing a common 
agricultural  policy  with  common  objectives  and  a  common  implementation.  The  proposal 
aims  at  ensuring  the  common  objectives  and  common  implementation  of  a  new  rural 
development measure. 

• 

Proportionality 

The  proposal  comprises  limited  and  targeted  amendments  that  do  not  go  beyond  what  is 
necessary to  achieve the objective of providing exceptional and temporary relief to farmers, 
forest  holders  and  SMEs  active  in  processing,  marketing  or  development  of  agricultural 
products  or  forestry  products  and  for  restoration  efforts,  who  are  particularly  affected  by 
natural disasters. 

• 

Choice of the instrument 

A  Regulation  is  the  appropriate  instrument  to  introduce  the  additional  measure  needed  to 
address these unprecedented circumstances. 

RESULTS 
CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS 

EX-POST 

EVALUATIONS, 

OF 

STAKEHOLDER 

Ex-post evaluations/fitness checks of existing legislation 

3. 

• 

N/A 

• 

Stakeholder consultations 

Due  to  the  technical,  limited  and  urgent  nature  of  the  proposed  modifications,  the  legal 
proposal  is  not  suitable  for  a  wide  public  consultation.  This  explanatory  memorandum  will 
however be transmitted to the other institutions together with the accompanying act and will 
be available to the public through EUR-Lex.  

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Collection and use of expertise 

• 

N/A 

• 

Impact assessment 

An  impact  assessment  was  carried  out  to  prepare  the  proposal  for  Regulation  (EU)  No 
1305/2013. These proposed limited amendments do not require a separate impact assessment.  

Regulatory fitness and simplification 

Fundamental rights 

• 

N/A 

• 

N/A 

4. 

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS 

The proposal concerns the EAFRD rural development programmes for the 2014-2022 period 
and  does  not  modify  existing  budgetary  commitments.  It  remains  within  the  limits  of  the 
overall allocation for the period 2014-2022 and is therefore budgetary neutral.  

The  total  annual  breakdown  of  commitment  appropriations  under  EAFRD  remains 
unchanged. Payments to beneficiaries will be made before 31 December 2025, and hence will 
be  financed  under  the  2025,  2026  and  2027  budget.  The  payment  appropriations  needed  to 
finance  this  measure  are  to  be  accommodated  within  the  appropriations  for  the  EAFRD 
included  in  the  Commission’s  forthcoming  Draft  Budget  2025  and  will  be  offset  by  a 
corresponding decrease in payment needs in subsequent years. 

The  proposed  modification  does  not  imply  any  changes  in  the  Multiannual  Financial 
Framework annual ceilings for commitments and payments as per Annex I to Regulation (EU) 
2020/2093. 

5. 

• 

OTHER ELEMENTS 

Implementation plans and monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements 

The implementation of the measures will be monitored and reported upon in the framework of 
the  general  reporting  mechanisms  established  in  Regulations  (EU)  No  1303/2013  and  (EU) 
No 1305/2013. 

Explanatory documents (for directives) 

• 

N/A 

• 

Detailed explanation of the specific provisions of the proposal 

In order to provide additional assistance and further flexibility as regards the non-regression 
threshold to Member States affected by natural disasters it is proposed to amend Regulation 
(EU) 2020/2220 to: 

• 

Introduce  a  new  measure  to  allow  Member  States  to  provide  liquidity  support  to 
farmers,  forest  holders  and  SMEs  active  in  processing  of  agricultural  and  forestry 
products affected by natural disasters occurring as of 1 January 2024. The support is 
paid in form of a lump sum. The new measure can be co-financed up to 100% with 

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• 

• 

• 

EAFRD and the maximum share of Union contribution is  10% of the total EAFRD 
contribution to the rural development programme for the years 2021-2022. 

Provide  limited  flexibility  regarding  the  non-regression  clause  when  reallocating 
funds to the new measure or to measures for restoring production potential. 

Give Member States the possibility to simplify procedures by considering the whole 
area to be gravely affected by a natural disaster when applying for “force majeure”.   

Allow  Member  States  to  select  for  support  operations  that  have  been  physically 
completed  or  fully  implemented  before  the  application  for  funding  when  linked  to 
restoration or liquidity payments. 

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2024/0274 (COD) 

Proposal for a 

REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

amending Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 as regards specific measures under the European 
Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) to provide additional assistance to 
Member States affected by natural disasters 

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  and  in  particular 
Article 43(2) thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee1, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions2, 

Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

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2 
3 

The recent natural disasters in Central and Eastern as well as in Southern Europe have 
had a devastating effect on the rural populations living and working in these regions. 
A  considerable  amount  of  agricultural  and  forestry  production  potential  has  been 
destroyed,  and  as  a  consequence  farmers,  forest  holders  and  rural  businesses  in  the 
affected regions are faced with important losses of income. In order to quickly address 
vulnerabilities  of  the  European  food  system  and  rural  communities  resulting  from 
these  disasters,  it  is  appropriate  to  rapidly  provide  exceptional  effective  support 
through 
the  European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development  (EAFRD) 
implemented  under  rural  development  programmes  and  provide  for  more  flexibility 
for the existing measures.  

In  order  to  respond  to  the  consequences  of  natural  disasters  occurring  as  from  1 
January  2024,  a  new  exceptional  and  temporary  measure  should  be  provided  for 
addressing the liquidity problems that put at risk the continuity of farming and forestry 
activities  and  the  continuity  of  small  and  medium  businesses  active  in  processing, 
marketing or development of agricultural and forestry products. Moreover, support for 
restoration  of  agricultural  production  potential  available  under  Regulation  (EU)  No 
1305/2013  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council3  should  be  reinforced  by 
providing more budgetary flexibility as regards the non-regression threshold provided 

OJ C , , p. . 
OJ C , , p. . 
Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on 
support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and 
(OJ  L  347,  20.12.2013,  p.  487, 
repealing  Council  Regulation 
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1305/oj). 

(EC)  No  1698/2005 

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(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

for Article 1(2) of Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council4. 

Since  the  financing  of  the  new  measure  will  be  provided  through  the  EAFRD,  the 
legal  framework  laid  down  for  the  programming  period  2014-2020,  in  particular  the 
specific  provisions  of  Regulation  (EU)  No  1305/2013  and  Regulation  (EU)  No 
1306/2013  of the European Parliament and of the Council5, as well as implementing 
provisions to those Regulations, are to apply to this new measure. 

The EAFRD programming period was extended by Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 until 
31 December 2022. The implementation of the extended programming period will run 
until  the  end  of  2025.  Regulation  (EU)  2020/2220  has  also  provided  for  transitional 
rules within the period of extension. Since the EAFRD is currently being implemented 
in  the  extended  period,  it  is  appropriate  to  provide  for  the  conditions  for  the  new 
exceptional  measure  and  further  budgetary  flexibilities  as  regards  the  non-regression 
threshold by amending Regulation (EU) 2020/2220.  

In  order  to  provide  for  more  budgetary  flexibility  to  reallocate  funding  for  the  new 
measure  and  the  existing  sub-measure  for  restoration  of  agricultural  production 
potential, while continuing the planned investments and actions in disaster prevention 
and  preparedness,  as  well  as  climate  adaptation  to  mitigate  the  impact  of  the 
increasingly frequent  climate-induced disasters,  Member States  should be allowed to 
decrease the non-regression threshold provided for in Article 1(2) of Regulation (EU) 
2020/2220 by maximum 15 percentage points but not below the minimum threshold of 
30%. 

In order to enable Member States to fully address the consequences of natural disasters 
occurring as from 1 January 2024, it should be allowed to select for support operations 
that  have  been  physically  completed  or  fully  implemented  before  the  application  for 
the  funding  under  the  programme  is  submitted  to  the  managing  authority,  provided 
that the operation is in response to such natural disaster. 

The support under the measure provided for in this Regulation, which aims to secure 
the  competitiveness  of  SMEs  as  well  as  farm  and  forest  holders  viability,  should 
concentrate  the  available  resources  on  beneficiaries  who  are  affected  the  most  by 
natural  disasters  and  be  granted  on  the  basis  of  objective  and  non-discriminatory 
criteria.  The  support  should  be  provided  only  to  those  beneficiaries  which  were 
affected by a destruction of at least 30% of the relevant production potential. 

(8) 

Because  of  the  urgent,  temporary  and  exceptional  character  of  this  measure  and  the 
need  for  rapid  and  simple  disbursement  of  the  corresponding  payments,  a  one-off 
payment and an end date for application of the measure should be set.  

4 

5 

Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 December 2020 laying 
down  certain  transitional  provisions  for  support  from  the  European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural 
Development (EAFRD) and from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) in the years 2021 
and 2022 and amending Regulations (EU) No 1305/2013, (EU) No 1306/2013 and (EU) No 1307/2013 
as regards resources and application in the years 2021 and 2022 and Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 as 
regards resources and the distribution of such support in respect of the years 2021 and 2022 (OJ L 437, 
28.12.2020, p. 487, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/2220/oj). 
Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on 
the  financing,  management  and  monitoring  of  the  common  agricultural  policy  and  repealing  Council 
Regulations  (EEC)  No  352/78,  (EC)  No  165/94,  (EC)  No  2799/98,  (EC)  No  814/2000,  (EC)  No 
ELI: 
(OJ 
1290/2005 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1306/oj). 

20.12.2013, 

(EC)  No 

485/2008 

549, 

347, 

and 

p. 

L 

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(9) 

In  order  to  give  higher  support  to  the  farmers,  forest  holders  or  SMEs  that  are  most 
severely  affected,  it  is  appropriate  to  allow  Member  States  to  adjust  the  level  of  the 
lump-sums  for  certain  categories  of  eligible  beneficiaries,  for  instance  by  fixing 
certain ranges or broad categories, based on objective and non-discriminatory criteria.  

(10)  When granting support for the new measure, Member States should take into account 
the  support  granted  under  other  national  or  Union  support  instruments  or  private 
schemes to respond to the impact of natural disasters.  

(11)  The resources for the new measure should be programmed with a co-financing rate of 

up to 100%. 

(12) 

In  order  to  ensure  adequate  funding  of  the  new  measure  provided  for  in  this 
Regulation  without 
the  rural  development 
programmes,  a  maximum  share  of  the  Union  contribution  to  that  measure  should  be 
fixed.  

jeopardising  other  objectives  of 

(13)  Support  for  restoring  agricultural  and  forestry  production  potential  in  response  to 
natural disasters should prioritise operations based on the ’build back better’ principle, 
this is the use of the recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction phases after a disaster 
to increase the resilience of the farming and forestry sector through integrating disaster 
risk  reduction  measures,  as  indicated  in  the  Sendai  Framework  for  Disaster  Risk 
Reduction 2015-2030 of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, while 
ensuring that selected operations present the best relationship between the amount of 
support and the objective to ensure disaster resilience. 

(14)  To reduce administrative burden of affected beneficiaries and the Member States when 
applying  “force majeure”, Member States should have the possibility to consider the 
whole area to be gravely affected by a natural disaster. 

(15) 

In  order  to  ensure  a  uniform  implementation  of  the  new  measure  through  the  rural 
development  programmes  within  the  legal  framework  of  the  programming  period 
2014-2020, as extended by Regulation (EU) 2020/2220, implementing powers should 
be  conferred  on  the  Commission.  Those  powers  should  be  exercised  in  accordance 
with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council6. 

(16)  The implementing powers of the Commission should relate to the presentation of the 
new measure in the rural development programmes, monitoring and evaluation of the 
rural  development  policy,  presentation  of  the  annual  implementation  reports  and 
implementation of checks and penalties.  

(17)  Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 should therefore be amended accordingly.  

(18) 

In  view  of  the  devasting  effects  of  the  current  natural  disasters  and  the  urgency  to 
address  and  mitigate    their  impact  on  the  Union  agri-food  and  forestry  sector,  it  is 
considered  necessary  to  use  the  exception  to  the  eight-week  period  referred  to  in 
Article  4  of  Protocol  No  1  to  the  Treaties  on  the  role  of  national  Parliaments  in  the 
Union.  

6 

Regulation  (EU)  No  182/2011  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  16  February  2011 
laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of 
implementing  powers  (OJ  L  55,  28.2.2011,  p.  13,  ELI: 
the  Commission’s  exercise  of 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/182/oj). 

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(19)  Given the urgency of the situation related to the natural disasters, it is appropriate that 
this Regulation enters into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of 
the European Union. 

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 is amended as follows: 

(1) 

in Article 1(2), the following subparagraph is added: 

Article 1 

‘By  way  of  derogation  from  the  first  subparagraph,  second  sentence  of  this 
paragraph, when reallocating funds to and spending funds for measures referred to in 
Article 6a of this Regulation and in Article 18(1), point (b), of Regulation (EU) No 
1305/2013,  Member  States  may  decrease  the  overall  share  of  the  EAFRD 
contribution  reserved  for  the  measures  referred  to  in  Article  59(6)  of  Regulation 
(EU)  No  1305/2013.  That  decrease  shall  not  go  beyond  the  EAFRD  amounts 
reallocated to the measures referred to in Article 6a of this Regulation and in Article 
18(1),  point  (b)  of  Regulation  (EU)  No  1305/2013  and  shall  not  exceed  15 
percentage  points  of  the  overall  share  of  the  EAFRD  contribution  set  in  the  rural 
development programmes for the measures referred to in Article 59(6) of Regulation 
(EU) No 1305/2013. For that purpose, the overall share of the EAFRD contribution 
set in the rural development programmes as planned at the time of the extension of 
the period of duration of programmes supported by the EAFRD until 31 December 
2022, in accordance with Article 1(2) of this Regulation, shall be taken into account. 
The overall share reserved for the measures referred to in Article 59(6) of Regulation 
(EU)  No  1305/2013  shall  not  be  lower  than  the  minimum  threshold  set  out  in  that 
Article.  The  same  decrease  in  percentage  points  may  be  applied  to  the  additional 
resources  referred  to  in  Article  58a(2)  of  Regulation  (EU)  No  1305/2013  without 
reallocating funds to the measures referred to in Article 6a of this Regulation and in 
Article 18(1), point (b), of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013.’;  

(2) 

in Article 2, the following paragraph 5 is added: 

‘5. By way of derogation from Article 65(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013, the 
managing  authority  may  select  for  support  operations  that  have  been  physically 
completed or fully implemented before the submission of an application for funding 
to  the  managing  authority,  provided  that  the  operation  is  implemented  through  the 
measure referred to in Article 6a of this Regulation  as well as in Article 18(1), point 
(b), or Article 24(1), point (d), of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 and provided that 
such  operation  provides  a  response  to  a  natural  disaster  which  occurred  as  of  1 
January 2024.’; 

(3) 

the following Articles are inserted: 

‘Article 6a 

Exceptional temporary support to farmers, forest holders and SMEs particularly affected by 
natural disasters 

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1. 

2. 

Support  under  this  measure  shall  provide  emergency  assistance  to  farmers,  forest 
holders  and  SMEs  particularly  affected  by  natural  disasters,  aiming  at  ensuring 
continuity of their business activity, subject to the conditions set out in this Article.  

Support  under  this  measure  shall  be  subject  to  the  formal  recognition  by  the 
competent  public  authorities  of  Member  States  that  a  natural  disaster  as  defined  in 
Article  2(1),  point  (k),  of  Regulation  (EU)  No  1305/2013  has  occurred  as  of  1 
January  2024  and  that  this  disaster  or  measures  adopted  in  accordance  with  
Regulation  (EU)  2016/2031*  to  eradicate  or  contain  a  plant  disease  or  pest  have 
caused the destruction of at least 30% of the relevant production potential. 

3. 

Support shall be granted to  

(a) 

farmers,  

(b)  private and public forest holders  and other private law and public bodies  and 

their associations, excluding State owned forest managed by the State,  

(c)  SMEs active in processing, marketing or development of agricultural products 

covered by Annex I to the TFEU or cotton, except fishery products or  

(d)  SMEs active in processing, mobilising and marketing of forest products.  

With  regard  to  processing  of  agricultural  products,  the  output  of  the  production 
process may be a product not covered by Annex I to the TFEU. 

Member  States  shall  target  the  support  to  beneficiaries  who  are  most  affected,  by 
determining eligibility conditions on the basis of available evidence.  

The support shall take the form of a lump sum payment to be paid by 31 December 
2025, based on applications for support approved by the competent authority by  30 
June 2025. The level of payment may be differentiated by categories of beneficiaries, 
according to objective and non-discriminatory criteria.  

The maximum amount of support shall not exceed EUR 42 000 per beneficiary.  

When granting support under this Article, Member States shall take into account the 
support  granted  under  other  national  or  Union  support  instruments  or  private 
schemes  to  respond  to  the  impact  of  natural  disasters  in  order  to  ensure  sound 
financial  management  in  accordance  with  Article  33  of  Regulation  (EU,  Euratom) 
2018/1046 while targeting the support to beneficiaries who are most affected. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

Article 6b 

Provisions applicable to the exceptional temporary support to farmers, forest holders and 
SMEs particularly affected by natural disasters 

1. 

2. 

3. 

The exceptional temporary support referred to in Article 6a of this Regulation shall 
be  financed  by  the  EAFRD  as  a  measure  within  the  meaning  of  Article  13  of 
Regulation (EU) 1305/2013.  

The maximum EAFRD contribution for the measure referred to in Article 6a of this 
Regulation shall be 100%.  

The  support  provided  for  this  measure  shall  not  exceed  10%  of  the  total  EAFRD 
contribution to the rural development programme for the years 2021-2022. 

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Article 6c 

Force majeure 

As  regards  the  implementation  of  Regulation  (EU)  No  1306/2013  for  the  purposes  of  the 
financing,  management  and  monitoring  of  the  CAP  when  applying  a  ‘force  majeure’ 
principle,  as  referred  to  in  Article  2(2)  of  that  Regulation,  where  a  severe  natural  disaster 
gravely affects a well-determined area, the Member State concerned may consider that whole 
area to be gravely affected by that disaster or event. 

1. 

2. 

1. 

2. 

Article 6d 

Commission powers 

The Commission may adopt implementing acts laying down rules necessary for the 
implementation  of  the  measure  referred  to  in  Article  6a  of  this  Regulation  through 
rural  development  programmes  within  the  legal  framework  applicable  in  the 
programming period 2014-2020, extended in accordance with Article 1 on: 

(a)  monitoring and evaluation of the rural development policy; 

(b) 

rules on presentation of the rural development programmes; 

(c) 

presentation of the annual implementation reports; 

(d) 

implementation of checks and penalties. 

The implementing acts referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be adopted in 
accordance  with  the  examination  procedure  referred  to  in  Article  5  of  Regulation 
(EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council**. 

Article 6e 

Committee procedure  

In exercising the empowerment as described in Article 6d(1) points (a), (b) and (c) of 
this  Regulation,  the  Commission  shall  be  assisted  by  the  "Rural  Development 
Committee" established by Article 84 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013. 

In  exercising  the  empowerment  as  described  in  Article  6d(1),  point  (d),  of  this 
Regulation the Commission shall be assisted by the "Committee on the Agricultural 
Funds" established by Article 103(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/2116 of the European 
Parliament and of the Council***.  

* Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament of the Council of 26 October 2016 
on  protective  measures  against  pests  of  plants,  amending  Regulations  (EU)  No  228/2013, 
(EU)  No  652/2014  and  (EU)  No  1143/2014  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council 
and  repealing  Council  Directives  69/464/EEC,  74/647/EEC,  93/85/EEC,  98/57/EC, 
4,  
2000/29/EC, 
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/2031/oj). 

2007/33/EC 

2006/91/EC 

23.11.201, 

(OJ  L 

317, 

and 

p. 

**  Regulation  (EU)  No  182/2011  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  16 
February  2011  laying  down  the  rules  and  general  principles  concerning  mechanisms  for 

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control  by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 
28.2.2011, p. 13, ELI: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/182/oj). 

***Regulation (EU) 2021/2116 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 
2021  on  the  financing,  management  and  monitoring  of  the  common  agricultural  policy  and 
repealing  Regulation  (EU)  No  1306/2013  (OJ  L  435,  6.12.2021,  p.  187,  ELI:  https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/2116/oj).’. 

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the  Official Journal of 
the European Union. 

Article 2 

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. 

Done at Brussels, 

For the European Parliament 
The President 

For the Council 
The President 

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