TITLE IIICHECKS

CHAPTER IIAdministrative checks within the integrated system

Article 29Cross-checks

1.

Where appropriate, the administrative checks shall include cross-checks:

  1. (a)

    on declared payment entitlements and on declared agricultural parcels, respectively, in order to avoid multiple granting of the same aid or support in respect of the same calendar or claim year and to prevent any undue accumulation of aid granted under area-related aid schemes listed in Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 and Annex VI to Council Regulation (EC) No 73/200916, and area-related support measures as defined in point (21) of the second subparagraph of Article 2 of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 640/2014;

  2. (b)

    on the payment entitlements to verify their existence and the eligibility for aid;

  3. (c)

    between the agricultural parcels as declared in the single application and/or payment claim and the information as contained in the identification system for agricultural parcels per reference parcel in accordance with Article 5(2) of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 640/2014 to verify the eligibility for direct payment scheme and/or rural development measure of the areas as such;

  4. (d)

    between the payment entitlements and the area determined in order to verify that the entitlements are accompanied by at least an equal number of eligible hectares as defined in Article 32(2) to (6) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;

  5. (e)

    by means of the system for the identification and registration of animals, to verify eligibility for the aid and/or support and to avoid undue multiple granting of the same aid and/or support in respect of the same calendar or claim year;

  6. (f)

    between the declarations of the beneficiary in the single application to be a member of an approved inter-branch organisation, the information under Article 17(8) of this Regulation and the information transmitted by the approved inter-branch organisations concerned, to verify eligibility for the increase of the aid provided for in Article 60(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;

  7. (g)

    to verify the compliance with the criteria for the approval of inter-branch organisations and the list of their members at least once every 5 years.

For the purposes of point (c) of the first subparagraph, where the integrated system provides for geo-spatial aid application forms, the cross-checks shall be carried out as spatial intersection of the digitised area declared with the identification system of agricultural parcels. In addition, cross-checks shall be carried out to prevent double claiming of the same area.

2.

Indications of non-compliance resulting from cross-checks shall be followed-up by any other appropriate administrative procedure, and where necessary, by an on-the-spot check.

3.

Where a reference parcel is subject to an aid application and/or payment claim by two or more beneficiaries under the same aid scheme or under the same support measure and where the agricultural parcels declared are spatially overlapping or where the overall area declared exceeds the maximum eligible area determined in accordance with points (a) and (b) of Article 5(2) of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 640/2014, and the difference falls within the measurement tolerance defined in accordance with Article 38 of this Regulation in respect of that reference parcel, Member State may provide for a proportional reduction of the areas concerned, unless a beneficiary demonstrates that any of the other beneficiaries concerned over-declared his areas to the detriment of the former.