PARIS, Aug 22 (Reuters) - The European Union plans to allow Germanfarmers to receive hundreds of millions of euros in advanced aid tocompensate them for widespread damage caused by recent rains and flooding,EU officials said on Thursday.The decision, by the EU's grain management committee, still has to beofficially rubber-stamped by the European Commission, probably onWednesday, officials said.It will allow some 516 million euros in arable sector direct payments,due for the next 2002/2003 financial year, to be paid early.These aids are normally paid between mid-November and end-January, butnow they can be paid out between September 1 and mid-October, officialssaid.Officials said this effectively moved the money from the EU's 2002/2003budget to the current 2001/2002 budget. The EU's annual agriculture budgetruns from mid-October.