Public health measures
Article 55
1. The EMFF may support compensation to mollusc farmers for the temporary suspension of harvesting of farmed molluscs, where such suspension occurs exclusively for reasons of public health. 2. Support may only be granted where the suspension of harvesting due to the contamination of molluscs is the result of the proliferation of toxin-producing plankton or the presence of plankton containing biotoxins, and provided that: (a) the contamination lasts for more than four consecutive months; or (b) the loss, resulting from the suspension of the harvest, amounts to more than 25 % of the annual turnover of the business concerned, calculated on the basis of the average turnover of that business over the three calendar years preceding the year in which the harvest was suspended. For the purposes of point (b) of the first subparagraph, Member States may establish special calculation rules in respect of companies with less than three years of activity. 3. The duration for which compensation may be granted shall be a maximum of 12 months over the entire programming period. In duly justified cases, it may be extended once for a maximum of an additional 12 months up to a combined maximum of 24 months.