Article 1
1. Union aid of a total amount of EUR 49 800 000 shall be available to Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland and Romania to provide exceptional support to farmers subject to the conditions set out in this Regulation. 2. The Union expenditure incurred in accordance with this Regulation shall not exceed a total amount of: (a) EUR 7 400 000 for Bulgaria; (b) EUR 4 200 000 for Latvia; (c) EUR 1 100 000 for Lithuania; (d) EUR 10 800 000 for Hungary; (e) EUR 14 800 000 for Poland; (f) EUR 11 500 000 for Romania. 3. Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland and Romania shall use the amounts referred to in paragraph 2 for measures aiming to compensate the most affected farmers for their economic losses impacting on the viability of their farms in the sectors and productions significantly impacted by adverse climatic events in the regions affected. 4. The measures referred to in paragraph 3 shall be taken on the basis of objective and non-discriminatory criteria that take account of the actual economic losses borne by the affected farmers. The measures shall be of such a nature that the resulting payments do not cause any market or competition distortion. 5. Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland and Romania shall ensure that, when farmers are not the direct beneficiaries of the payments of the Union aid, the economic benefit of the Union aid is passed on to them in full. 6. The expenditure borne by Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland and Romania referred to in paragraph 2 in relation to the payments for the measures referred to in paragraph 3 shall only be eligible for Union aid if those payments are made by 30 April 2026. 7. For the purposes of Article 30(3) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/127, the operative event for the exchange rate as regards the amounts set out in Article 1(2), points (d), (e) and (f), of this Regulation shall be the date of entry into force of this Regulation. In the specific case of Bulgaria, the operative event for the exchange rate as regards the amount set out in Article 1(2), point (a), of this Regulation shall be 1 January 2026. 8. Measures under this Regulation may be cumulated with other support financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. 9. Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland and Romania may grant additional national support for the measures taken under paragraph 3 up to a maximum of 200 % of the respective amounts set out in paragraph 2, on the basis of objective and non-discriminatory criteria, provided that the resulting payments do not cause any market or competition distortion, or overcompensation. Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland and Romania shall pay the additional national support by 31 July 2026. 10. In order to avoid overcompensation, when granting support under this Regulation, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland and Romania shall take into account the support granted under other national or Union support instruments or private schemes to respond to the economic losses concerned.