1.Intermediate payments shall be made on the basis of the declarations of expenditure and financial information provided by Member States. Article 81 of the Regulation (EC) No 1605/2002 shall apply.
2.If the declarations of expenditure or financial information communicated by a Member State do not make it possible to find that the declaration of expenditure satisfies the relevant Community rules, the Member State shall be asked to provide additional information within a period set according to the seriousness of the problem but which may not normally be less than 30 days.
3.If the Member State fails to respond to the request referred to in paragraph 2, or if the response is considered unsatisfactory or demonstrates that the rules applicable have not been complied with or that Community funds have been improperly used, the Commission may reduce or temporarily suspend intermediate payments to the Member State. It shall inform the Member State accordingly.
4.The suspension or reduction of intermediate payments as indicated in Article 26 shall comply with the principle of proportionality and shall be without prejudice to the decisions referred to in Articles 30 and 31.