1. For the application of Article 56 of Directive 2006/112/EC, the duration of the continuous possession or use of a means of transport which is the subject of hiring shall be determined on the basis of the contract between the parties involved.

The contract shall serve as a presumption which may be rebutted by any means in fact or law in order to establish the actual duration of the continuous possession or use.

The fact that the contractual period of short-term hiring within the meaning of Article 56 of Directive 2006/112/EC is exceeded on grounds of force majeure shall have no bearing on the determination of the duration of the continuous possession or use of the means of transport.

2. Where hiring of one and the same means of transport is covered by consecutive contracts between the same parties, the duration shall be that of the continuous possession or use of the means of transport provided for under the contracts as a whole.

For the purposes of the first subparagraph a contract and its extensions shall be consecutive contracts.

However, the duration of the short-term hire contract or contracts preceding a contract which is regarded as long-term shall not be called into question provided there is no abusive practice.

3. Unless there is abusive practice, consecutive contracts between the same parties for different means of transport shall not be considered to be consecutive contracts for the purposes of paragraph 2.