Article 4

Following receipt of an application for a grubbing up premium, the competent authority shall, by on-the-spot inspection, check the information contained in it. It shall record the undertaking referred to in Article 3. It shall establish, where appropriate, that the application complies with Regulation (EC) No 2200/97, with this Regulation and with the provisions adopted by the Member State concerned pursuant to Articles 1 (3) and 4 of Regulation (EC) No 2200/97.

Not later than 31 March 1998 Member States shall forward to the Commission a list of applications deemed admissible pursuant to paragraph 1. The list shall contain the total area for which a grubbing up premium has been requested, broken down by species.

On the basis of the lists referred to in paragraph 2 and under the conditions referred to in the second sub-paragraph of Article 1 (2) of Regulation (EC) No 2200/97, the Commission shall, where necessary, alter the allocation referred to in the first subparagraph of Article 1 (2) of that Regulation.