On-the-spot checks
Article 6
1. Member States shall verify that the conditions for granting EU financing are met, in particular as regards compliance with the following aspects: (a) compliance with the conditions for the recognition of beneficiaries laid down in Articles 152, 154, 156, 157 and 158 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013; (b) implementation of the approved work programmes, in particular investment and service measures; (c) the expenditure actually incurred as compared to the financing applied for and the financial contribution by the olive operators concerned. 2. The competent authorities of the Member State shall implement a work programme inspection plan focusing on a sample of beneficiary organisations selected on the basis of a risk analysis and each year covering a minimum of 30 % of the beneficiary organisations in receipt of EU financing under Article 29 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013. The selection shall be made in such a way as to ensure that: (a) producer organisations and their associations are all subjected to on-the-spot checks at least once during the implementation of the approved work programme after payment of the advance and before payment of the final instalment of EU financing; (b) all inter-branch organisations are inspected in each year of implementation of each approved work programme. If they have received an advance in the course of the year, the check shall be scheduled after the date on which the advance was disbursed. If the checks reveal irregularities, the competent authority shall carry out additional checks in the course of the year and shall increase the number of beneficiary organisations to be checked the following year. 3. The competent authority shall select the beneficiary organisations to be checked on the basis of a risk analysis based on the following criteria: (a) the amount of financing for the approved work programme; (b) the nature of the measures financed under the work programme; (c) the degree of progress in implementing the work programmes; (d) the conclusions of previous on-the-spot checks or checks carried out during the recognition procedure indicated in Articles 154(4) and 158(5) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013; (e) other risk criteria to be defined by the Member States. 4. The on-the-spot checks shall be unannounced. However, in order to facilitate the practical organisation of checks, advance warning of no more than 48 hours may be given to the beneficiary organisation to be checked. 5. The duration of each on-the-spot check shall correspond to the degree of progress in implementing the approved work programme and expenditure committed to investments and services.