CHAPTER XOfficial controls and other official activities, administrative assistance, cooperation and enforcement by Member States

Article 43Rules on official controls

1

Competent authorities shall perform official controls on operators with appropriate frequency, taking account of:

a

the risk of non-compliance with the rules provided for in this Regulation;

b

the past records of operators as regards the results of official controls performed in their respect and their compliance with the rules provided for in this Regulation;

c

the reliability and results of self-checks performed by the operators, or by third parties at their request, for the purpose of verifying compliance with the rules provided for in this Regulation;

d

any information that might indicate non-compliance with the rules provided for in this Regulation.

2

Competent authorities shall perform official controls in accordance with documented procedures, which shall contain instructions for staff performing official controls.

3

Official controls shall be performed after the operator has been notified in advance unless there are reasons to carry out the official controls without prior notice.

4

Official controls shall, as far as possible, be performed in a manner that minimises the burden on the operators without this negatively affecting the quality of those official controls.

5

Competent authorities shall perform official controls in the same manner irrespective of whether the breeding animals or the germinal products thereof:

a

originate in the Member State where the official controls are performed or in another Member State; or

b

are entering the Union.