1.Member States may make use of remote sensing with regard to the sample referred to in Article 26(1) instead of applying the traditional means of on-the-spot checking under the conditions set out in this Article. Articles 23, 25, 26, 27 and 28, the first sentence of Article 29 and Article 30 shall apply where appropriate.
2.The zones to be checked by means of remote sensing shall be selected on the basis of a risk analysis or at random.
In the case of selection on the basis of a risk analysis the Member States shall take account of appropriate risk factors, and in particular:
(a)their financial significance in terms of Community aid;
(b)the composition of aid applications;
(c)the structure of the agricultural parcel systems, and the complexity of the agricultural landscape;
(d)the lack of coverage in previous years;
(e)the technical constraints of effective use of remote sensing, with respect to zone definition;
(f)the findings of checks made in previous years.
3.On-the-spot checks by remote sensing shall cover either:
(a)all aid applications having at least 80 % of the area for which aid is requested under schemes established in Titles III and IV of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 within the respective zone,
or
(b)aid applications to be selected by the competent authority on the basis of Article 27(2) of this Regulation.
Applications selected randomly in accordance with Article the second subparagraph of Article 27(1) may be checked by remote sensing.
4.Once a farmer has been selected for an on-the-spot check in accordance with paragraph 3, at least 80 % of the area for which he requests aid under aid schemes established in Titles III and IV of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 shall be subject to on-the-spot check by remote sensing.
5.Where a Member State applies the possibility to carry out on-the-spot checks by remote sensing, it shall:
(a)perform photo interpretation of satellite images or aerial photographs of all agricultural parcels per application to be checked in accordance with paragraph 4 with a view to recognising the ground cover and measuring the area;
(b)carry out physical inspections in the field of all agricultural parcels for which photo interpretation does not make it possible to verify the accuracy of the declaration to the satisfaction of the competent authority.
6.The additional checks referred to in Article 26(3) shall be carried out by means of traditional on-the-spot checks if it is no longer possible to carry them out by means of remote sensing within the current year.