Area-specific disadvantages resulting from certain mandatory requirements
Article 72
1. Member States may grant payments for area-specific disadvantages imposed by requirements resulting from the implementation of Directives 92/43/EEC, 2009/147/EC or 2000/60/EC under the conditions set out in this Article and as further specified in their CAP Strategic Plans with the view of contributing to the achievement of one or more of the specific objectives set out in Article 6(1) and (2). 2. Payments under this Article shall be granted to farmers, forest holders and their associations as well as other land managers. 3. When determining areas with disadvantages, Member States may include one or more of the following areas: (a) Natura 2000 agricultural and forest areas designated pursuant to Directives 92/43/EEC and 2009/147/EC; (b) other delimited nature protection areas with environmental restrictions applicable to farming or forestry which contribute to the implementation of Article 10 of Directive 92/43/EEC, provided that those areas do not exceed 5 % of the designated Natura 2000 areas covered by territorial scope of each CAP Strategic Plan; (c) agricultural areas included in river basin management plans pursuant to Directive 2000/60/EC. 4. Member States may only grant payments under this Article in order to compensate beneficiaries for all or part of the additional costs and income foregone related to the area-specific disadvantages in the area concerned, including transaction costs. 5. Additional costs and income foregone as referred to in paragraph 4 shall be calculated: (a) in respect of constraints arising from Directives 92/43/EEC and 2009/147/EC, in relation to disadvantages resulting from requirements that go beyond the relevant GAEC standards established under Chapter I, Section 2, of this Title as well as the conditions established for the maintenance of the agricultural area in accordance with Article 4(2) of this Regulation; (b) in respect of constraints arising from Directive 2000/60/EC, in relation to disadvantages resulting from requirements that go beyond the relevant statutory management requirements, with the exception of SMR 1 listed in Annex III to this Regulation, and GAEC standards established under Chapter I, Section 2, of this Title as well as the conditions established for the maintenance of the agricultural area in accordance with Article 4(2) of this Regulation. 6. Payments under this Article shall be granted annually per hectare.