Payment of aid
Article 12
1. The aid, or, where an advance payment has been granted pursuant to Article 11, the balance of aid, shall be paid on the basis of an application for payment lodged by the contracting party within three months after the end of the contractual storage period. 2. Where the contracting party was unable to produce supporting documents within the time limit of three months despite acting promptly to obtain them on time, he may be given extensions, which may not exceed a total of three months. 3. Payment of the aid or of the balance of aid shall be carried out within 120 days following the day when an application for the payment of aid has been lodged provided that the obligations of the contract have been met and the final check has been carried out. However, if an administrative inquiry is under way, payment shall not be made until entitlement has been recognised. 4. Except in cases of force majeure , if the quantity actually stored during the contractual storage period is less than the contractual quantity and not less than 95 % of that quantity, the aid shall be paid for the quantity actually stored. However, if the competent authority finds that the contracting party acted deliberately or negligently, it may decide to further reduce or not to pay the aid. 5. Except in cases of force majeure , if the quantity actually stored during the contractual storage period is less than the percentage indicated in paragraph 4, but not less than 80 % of the contractual quantity, the aid for the quantity actually stored shall be reduced by half. However, if the competent authority finds that the contracting party acted deliberately or negligently, it may decide to further reduce or not to pay the aid. 6. Except in cases of force majeure , if the quantity actually stored during the contractual storage period is less than 80 % of the contracted quantity, no aid shall be paid. 7. If checks during storage or on removal reveal defective products, no aid shall be paid for those quantities. The remainder of the storage lot which is still eligible for aid shall be not less than the minimum quantity as laid down in Article 3(2). The same rule shall apply where part of a storage lot is removed for that reason before the minimum storage period. Defective products shall not be included in the calculation of the quantity actually stored referred to in paragraphs 4, 5 and 6.