Article 1

Regulation (EU) No 907/2014 is amended as follows:

1. (1)

   In Article 5, the following paragraph 3a is added:

   ‘3a.

   By way of derogation from paragraph 2, during financial year 2015, in the case of direct payments listed in Annex I to Council Regulation (EC) No 73/2009, the following conditions shall apply:

   (a)

   where the threshold referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 2 has not been used in full for payments made in respect of calendar year 2014 no later than 15 October 2015 and the remainder of the threshold exceeds 2 %, that remainder shall be reduced to 2 %;

   (b)

   in the case of Member States applying the Single Payment Scheme in accordance with Chapter 3 of Title III of Regulation (EC) No 73/2009, direct payments, other than payments provided for in Regulation (EU) No 228/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council^f1 and in Regulation (EU) No 229/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council^f2, in respect of calendar years 2013 or earlier made after the payment deadline will only be eligible for financing by the EAGF if the total amount of direct payments made within financial year 2015, where applicable corrected to amounts before the adjustment provided for in Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 or in Article 26 of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013, does not exceed the ceiling set out in Annex VIII to Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 in respect of calendar year 2014 and taking into account the amounts resulting from the application of Article 136b of Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 for calendar year 2014 as set out in Annex VIIIa to that Regulation;

   (c)

   in the case of Member States applying the Single Area Payment Scheme as laid down by Article 122 of Regulation (EC) No 73/2009, direct payments in respect of calendar years 2013 or earlier made after the payment deadline will only be eligible for financing by the EAGF if the total amount of direct payments made within financial year 2015, where applicable corrected to amounts before the adjustment provided for in Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 or in Article 26 of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013, does not exceed the sum of individual ceilings laid down for direct payments in respect of calendar year 2014 for the Member State concerned;

   (d)

   expenditure exceeding the limits referred to in point (a), (b) or (c) shall be reduced by 100 %.

   The amounts of the reimbursements referred to in Article 26(5) of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 shall not be taken into account to check whether the condition laid down in point (b) or (c) of the first subparagraph of this paragraph is fulfilled.’

2. (2)

   In Article 12, paragraph 8 is replaced by the following:

   ‘8.

   Where a Member State submits objective elements, which do not fulfil the requirements laid down in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article, but which demonstrate that the maximum loss for the funds is lower than what would derive from the application of a flat rate lower than the one proposed, the Commission shall use that lower flat rate to decide on the amounts to be excluded from Union financing pursuant to Article 52 of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013.’