On-the-spot inspections
Article 17
1. On-the-spot inspections shall be carried out at slaughterhouses, meat markets, intervention centres, price quotation centres and regional and central services implementing the provisions concerning: (a) the application of the Union scales for the classification of beef, pig and sheep carcasses; (b) the recording of market prices according to those classification scales; (c) the classification, identification and marking of products within the framework of the buying-in under public intervention in the beef and veal sector. 2. The on-the-spot inspections shall be carried out at regular intervals in Member States and their frequency may vary, in particular, according to the relative volume of beef, pig and sheep production in the visited Member States or to irregularities linked to the application of the classification scales and reporting of market prices. Representatives of the visited Member State may take part in the on-the-spot-inspections. Each Member State shall organise the on-the-spot inspections to be carried out on its territory according to the requirements set by the Commission. To that end, the Member State shall forward to the Commission, 60 days before the on-the-spot inspections at the latest, the draft programme of the proposed on-the-spot inspections. The Commission may request any amendment to the programme. The Commission shall inform Member States, as far in advance as possible before each on-the-spot inspection, of the amendments to the programme and the conduct thereof.