Article 1
Open ↗Regulation (EC) No 555/2008 is amended as follows: (1) In Article 19(2), the second subparagraph is replaced by the following: ‘The amount of the advances shall not exceed 20 % of the public aid related to the investment, and its payment shall be subject to the establishment of a bank guarantee or an equivalent guarantee corresponding to 110 % of the amount of the advance. However, in the case of investments for which the individual decision to grant support is taken in the financial years 2013, 2014, 2015 or 2016, the amount of the advances may be increased to up to 50 % of the public aid related to the investment concerned. For the purposes of Article 23 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 907/2014 ( *1 ) the obligation shall be to spend the total amount advanced in the implementation of the operation concerned two years after its payment. ( *1 ) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 907/2014 of 11 March 2014 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to paying agencies and other bodies, financial management, clearance of accounts, securities and use of euro ( OJ L 255, 28.8.2014, p. 18 ).’ " (2) In Article 20c(2), the second subparagraph is replaced by the following: ‘The amount of the advances shall not exceed 20 % of the public aid related to the investment in innovation, and its payment shall be subject to the establishment of a bank guarantee or an equivalent guarantee corresponding to 110 % of the amount of the advance. However, in the case of investments in innovation for which the individual decision to grant support is taken in the financial years 2014, 2015 or 2016, the amount of the advances may be increased to up to 50 % of the public aid related to the investment concerned. For the purposes of Article 23 of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 907/2014 the obligation shall be to spend the total amount advanced in the implementation of the operation concerned two years after its payment.’