1.Without prejudice to the enforcement powers conferred by the Treaty on the Commission, the Agency shall assist the Commission in monitoring the application of this Regulation and its implementing rules by conducting standardisation inspections of Member States competent authorities as specified in Article 24(1). The officials authorised under this Regulation, and those seconded by the national authorities participating in such inspections, are thus empowered, in compliance with the legal provisions of the Member State concerned:
(a)to examine the relevant records, data, procedures and any other material relevant to the achievement of aviation safety levels in accordance with this Regulation;
(b)to take copies of or extracts from such records, data, procedures and other material;
(c)to ask for an oral explanation on the spot;
(d)to enter any relevant premises, land or means of transport.
2.The officials of the Agency authorised for the purpose of the inspections referred to in paragraph 1 shall exercise their powers upon production of an authorisation in writing specifying the subject matter, the purpose of the inspection and the date on which it is to begin. In good time before the inspection, the Agency shall inform the Member State concerned of the inspection and of the identity of the authorised officials.
3.The Member State concerned shall submit to the inspections and shall ensure that bodies or persons concerned also submit to them.
4.When an inspection carried out pursuant to this Article entails an inspection of an undertaking or an association of undertakings, the provisions of Article 55 shall apply. Where an undertaking opposes the inspection, the Member State concerned shall afford the necessary assistance to officials authorised by the Agency to enable them to carry out the inspection.
5.Reports drawn up in application of this Article shall be made available in the official language or languages of the Member State where the inspection took place.