Article 3
1. Within 30 calendar days of the signing of the contract, the contractor may submit an application for an advance to the competent body, accompanied by the security as indicated in paragraph 3. Beyond that date, no applications for an advance may be made. The advance may cover up to 30 % of the Community financing. 2. The competent authority must pay the advance within 30 calendar days of submission of the payment application. Where payment is made late, the rules laid down in Article 4 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 296/96 (25) shall apply. 3. The advance shall be paid subject to the lodging by the contractor of a security equal to 110 % of that advance in favour of the competent body in accordance with the conditions laid down in Title III of Regulation (EEC) No 2220/85. However, if the contractor is a body governed by public law or acts under the supervision of such a body, a written guarantee from the supervisory authority covering an amount equal to the percentage specified in the first subparagraph may be accepted by the competent body, provided that the supervisory authority undertakes to pay the amount covered by the guarantee should entitlement to the advance paid not be established.