15.7.2011 Official Journal of the European Union L 185/57 COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 679/2011 of 14 July 2011 amending Regulation (EC) No 1974/2006 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 of 20 September 2005 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) (1), and in particular Article 91 thereof, Whereas: ) 0] 0] Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 established a single legal framework for the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) support for rural development throughout the Union. That legal framework has been complemented by implementing rules laid down by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1974/2006 (?). In the light of experience gained and problems that have arisen in the implementation of Rural Development Programmes it is necessary to amend certain provisions of that Regulation and to introduce certain additional implementing rules. Operations concerning the production of renewable energy on agricultural holdings pursuant to Article 26 of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 may fall outside the scope of Article 42 of the Treaty. In order to ensure compliance with agricultural State aid rules, a specific provision should be laid down for investments in the production of renewable energy on agricultural holdings. Article 27(12) of Regulation (EC) No 1974/2006 provides that adjustment of agri-environment or animal welfare commitments may take the form of an extension of the duration of the commitment. In order to avoid overlapping with the following programming period, such adjustment should be limited to the end of the premium period to which the 2013 payment claim refers. Article 47 of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 provides that forest-environmental commitments are to be undertaken as a general rule for a period between 5 and 7 years. In order to avoid a situation in which L 277, 21.10.2005, p. 1. L 368, 23.12.20006, p. 15. () renewed commitments overlap with the following programming period, it should be provided that Member States may allow such commitments to be extended to the end of the premium period to which the 2013 payment claim refers. Article 62(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 provides that, at the decision-making level of the local action group, economic and social partners, as well as other representatives of civil society, are to make up at least 50 % of the local partnership. Member States should ensure that local action groups comply with this minimum percentage with respect to voting, too, in order to prevent the public sector from dominating decision-making. Furthermore, it should be ensured that project promoters are not able to influence the project selection decision. Effective safeguards should therefore be established to avoid any conflict of interests with regard to the appraisal and vote on project proposals. The transparency of the decision making should also be guaranteed with the appropriate visibility. Article 38(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1974/2006 provides for the possibility of paying advances for the running costs of local action groups. It has been proven that in order to ensure the cash flow needs of local action groups it is necessary to extend the possibility to pay advances to cover the costs related to acquiring skills and animating the territory as referred to in Article 63(c) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005. Article 44(3) of Regulation (EC) No 19742006 allows Member States to take specific measures to ensure that minor changes to the situation of a holding do not lead to inappropriate results in relation to commitments entered into, in terms of the obligation of the beneficiary to repay the assistance where a commitment is not taken over by the transferee of a part of the holding. In order to ensure legal certainty, a definition should be provided of what constitutes a minor change in cases where the area of the holding is reduced. Article 46 of Regulation (EC) No 19742006 provides for a revision clause in case of amendments to the baseline for certain measures. A revision clause should also be provided in case the duration of new agri- environment, animal welfare or forest-environmental commitments undertaken for a period between 5 and 7 years extends beyond the end of the -current programming period, in order to avoid inconsistencies with the legal and policy framework to be laid down for the period following the current programming period.