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1. Preconditions for the support under the Facility shall be that:

(a) the beneficiaries uphold and respect effective democratic mechanisms, including a multi-party parliamentary system, free and fair elections, pluralistic media, an independent judiciary and the rule of law, and guarantee respect for all human rights obligations, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities;

(b) as regards Serbia and Kosovo, they engage constructively with measurable progress and tangible results in the normalisation of their relations with a view to fully implementing all of their respective obligations stemming from the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation and its Implementation Annex as well as all past Dialogue Agreements and engage in negotiations on the Comprehensive Agreement on normalisation of relations.

2. The Commission shall monitor the fulfilment of the preconditions set out in paragraph 1 before funds, including pre-financing, are released to beneficiaries under the Facility and throughout the period of the support provided under the Facility taking duly into account the enlargement policy framework. The Commission shall also take into account the relevant recommendations of international bodies, such as the Council of Europe and its Venice Commission, or the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), in the monitoring process.

3. As regards the precondition set out in point (b) of paragraph 1 of this Article, the Commission, in accordance with Decision 2010/427/EU, shall duly take into account the role and contribution of the EEAS.

4. The Commission may adopt a decision concluding that some of the preconditions set out in paragraph 1 of this Article are not met, and in particular, withhold the release of funds referred to in Article 21, irrespective of whether the payment conditions referred to in Article 12 are fulfilled.