Artikel 27

1. The commencement date for payment of a benefit under this Agreement shall be determined in accordance with the legislation of the Party concerned but in no case shall that date be a date earlier than the date on which this Agreement enters into force.
2. In determining the eligibility or entitlement of a person to a benefit by virtue of this Agreement:
a) a period as an Australian resident and a period of insurance, and
b) any event or fact which is relevant to that entitlement,
shall, subject to this Agreement, be taken into account insofar as those periods or those events are applicable in regard to that person no matter when they were accumulated or occurred.
3. Subject to Article 28 no provision of this Agreement shall confer any right to receive payment of a benefit for a period before the date of entry into force of this Agreement.
4. Subject to Article 28 and to paragraph 3, a person may be qualified to receive a benefit, other than a lump sum payment, under this Agreement in respect of events which happened before the date of entry into force of this Agreement.