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1. Member States shall include agri-environment-climate commitments among the interventions in their CAP Strategic Plans and may include other management commitments therein. The payments for those commitments shall be granted under the conditions set out in this Article and as further specified in the CAP Strategic Plans.

2. Member States shall grant payments only to farmers or other beneficiaries who undertake, on a voluntary basis, management commitments which are considered to be beneficial to achieving one or more of the specific objectives set out in Article 6(1) and (2).

3. Under this Article, Member States shall provide payments only for commitments which:

(a) go beyond the relevant statutory management requirements and GAEC standards established under Chapter I, Section 2;

(b) go beyond the relevant minimum requirements for the use of fertiliser and plant protection products or for animal welfare, as well as other relevant mandatory requirements established by national and Union law; that requirement does not apply to commitments related to agroforestry systems and the maintenance of afforested areas;

(c) go beyond the conditions established for the maintenance of the agricultural area in accordance with Article 4(2);

(d) are different from commitments in respect of which payments are granted under Article 31. For commitments referred to in the first subparagraph, point (b), where national law imposes new requirements which go beyond the corresponding minimum requirements laid down in Union law, support may be granted for commitments contributing to compliance with those requirements for a maximum of 24 months from the date on which they become mandatory for the holding.

4. Member States shall determine the payments to be made on the basis of the additional costs incurred and income foregone resulting from the commitments made, taking into account the targets set. Those payments shall be granted annually and may also cover transaction costs. In duly justified cases, Member States may grant support as a one-off payment per unit.

5. Member States may promote and support collective schemes and result-based payment schemes to encourage farmers or other beneficiaries to deliver a significant enhancement of the quality of the environment at a larger scale or in a measurable way.

6. Commitments shall be undertaken for a period of five to seven years. However, Member States may in their CAP Strategic Plans determine:

(a) a longer period for particular types of commitment, including by means of providing for their annual extension after the termination of the initial period, where such longer period is necessary in order to achieve or maintain certain environmental or animal welfare benefits;

(b) a shorter period of at least one year for animal welfare commitments, for commitments for the conservation, sustainable use and development of genetic resources, for conversion to organic farming, for new commitments directly following the commitment performed in the initial period or in other duly justified cases.

7. Member States shall ensure that a revision clause is provided for operations implemented under the type of intervention referred to in this Article in order to ensure their adjustment in consequence of amendments to the relevant mandatory standards, requirements or obligations referred to in paragraph 3 beyond which the commitments have to go or to ensure compliance with the first subparagraph, point (d), of that paragraph. If such adjustment is not accepted by the beneficiary, the commitment shall expire and no reimbursement of payments under this Article shall be required in respect of the period during which the commitment was effective.

Member States shall also ensure that a revision clause is provided for operations implemented under the type of intervention referred to in this Article which extend beyond the CAP Strategic Plan period in order to allow for their adjustment to the legal framework applicable in the following period.

8. Where support under this Article is granted to agri-environment-climate commitments or commitments to convert to or maintain organic farming practices and methods as laid down in Regulation (EU) 2018/848, Member States shall establish a payment per hectare. For other commitments, Member States may apply units other than hectares. In duly justified cases, Member States may grant support under this Article as a lump sum.

9. Member States shall ensure that persons carrying out operations under this type of intervention have access to the relevant knowledge and information required to implement such operations, and that, in order to assist farmers who commit to change their production systems, appropriate training is made available for those who require it, as well as access to expertise.

10. Member States shall ensure that interventions under this Article are consistent with those based on Article 31.