Article 24 Obligations of purchasers and producers

Producers shall ensure that purchasers to whom they deliver are approved. The Member States shall lay down penalties where deliveries are made to non-approved purchasers.

Purchasers shall keep available for the competent authority of the Member State, for at least three years from the end of the year in which the documents are drawn up, stock records per 12-month period with details of the name and address of each producer, the information referred to in Article 8(2), entered every month or four-week period in the case of quantities delivered and annually in the case of the other data, together with the commercial documents, correspondence and other information referred to in Council Regulation (EEC) No 4045/89^f1, permitting such stock records to be verified.

Purchasers shall be responsible for recording all quantities of milk delivered to them. To that end, they shall keep available for the competent authority, for at least three years from the end of the year in which the documents are drawn up, the list of purchasers and undertakings treating or processing milk supplying them with milk and, for each month, the quantities delivered by each supplier.

On collection at holdings, milk shall be accompanied by a document identifying the delivery. In addition, purchasers shall keep a record of each individual delivery for at least three years from the end of the year in which the record is drawn up.

Producers making deliveries shall keep available for the competent authority of the Member State, for at least three years from the end of the year in which the documents are drawn up, the documents regarding the quantities of milk delivered to the purchasers. The producer in question shall also keep available for the competent authority the registers of livestock held on holdings and used for milk production, in accordance with Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council^f2.

F1Producers making direct sales shall keep available for the competent authority of the Member State, for at least three years from the end of the year in which the documents are drawn up, stock records drawn up by 12-month period giving details, per month and per product, of any sale or transfer of milk or milk products.

Producers whose individual reference quantity of direct sales is 5 000 kg or more shall also keep records of milk and milk products which have been produced but not sold or transferred.

Member States may lay down more detailed rules.

They shall also keep available for the competent authority the registers of livestock held on holdings and used for milk production, in accordance with Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000, and supporting documents enabling such stock records to be verified.