Article 9 Controls

The competent authorities shall ensure that all the applications for authorisations are submitted to administrative control. Where this control demonstrates that the conditions provided for in Articles 6 and 7 will not be fulfilled, the applications shall be refused and the applicant shall be informed of the reasons thereof.

The competent authorities shall establish a programme of field inspections of the grassland farms based on a risk analysis, the results of controls of the previous years and results of general random controls of application of the Irish legislation implementing Directive 91/676/EEC. The field inspections shall verify compliance with the conditions set out in Articles 6 and 7 of this Decision and shall cover at least 5 % of the farms benefiting of authorisations.

Where verification indicates non-compliance with this Decision, the competent authorities shall take the necessary action for redress. Farmers which do not comply with Articles 6 and 7 shall be fined in accordance with national rules and may be excluded from an authorisation the following year.

The competent authorities shall be granted the necessary powers and means to verify compliance with the conditions for an authorisation granted under this Decision.