Article 43

The Community customs offices where products are declared for release for free circulation into the Community shall scrutinise the documents submitted in support of a declaration of release for free circulation claiming reduced-tariff treatment.

They shall also make physical checks on the products, on the basis of the said documents.

Member States shall take the necessary measures to establish a system to carry out the physical checks under the second subparagraph of paragraph 1 without prior warning, based on a risk-analysis assessment.

However, up to the end of 2003, the system shall ensure that at least 3 % of the declarations of release for free circulation per Member State and per calendar year are physically checked.

When calculating the minimum rate of physical checks to be carried out, Member States may opt to disregard import declarations involving quantities not exceeding 500 kg.