1. For the purposes of this Article, "green harvesting" means the total destruction or removal of grape bunches while still in their immature stage, thereby reducing the yield of the relevant area to zero.
Leaving commercial grapes on the plants at the end of the normal production cycle (non-harvesting) shall not be considered to be green harvesting.
2. Support for green harvesting shall contribute to restoring the balance of supply and demand in the Union wine market in order to prevent market crises.
3. Support for green harvesting may be granted as compensation in the form of a flat rate payment per hectare to be determined by the Member State concerned. The payment shall not exceed 50 % of the sum of the direct costs of the destruction or removal of grape bunches and the loss of revenue related to such destruction or removal.
4. The Member State concerned shall establish a system based on objective criteria to ensure that the green harvesting measure does not lead to compensation of individual wine producers in excess of the ceiling fixed in paragraph 3.