The Common Agricultural Policy Single Payment and Support Schemes (Cross Compliance) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005

Powers of authorised persons

7.—(1) An authorised person may exercise any of the powers specified in this regulation for the purpose of –

(a) providing a control report pursuant to Article 48 of the Commission Regulation;

(b) establishing whether there has been a non compliance; or

(c) ascertaining whether an offence under these Regulations has been or is being committed.

(2) An authorised person –

(a) shall, on producing, if so required, some duly authenticated document showing his authority, have a right at all reasonable hours to enter any land, other than a building used only as a dwelling, for the purposes of administering and enforcing these Regulations, the Council Regulation and the Commission Regulation, but

(b) may only do so if the land is a holding occupied by, or in the possession of a farmer, employee, agent, contractor or tenant of a farmer or if he has reasonable cause to believe so.

(3) An authorised person may –

(a) carry out any inquiries, checks, examinations and tests;

(b) take samples;

(c) inspect all or any part of the land, whether it is farmed or is withdrawn from agricultural production, including land set aside pursuant to Articles 54 and 55(b) of the Council Regulation;

(d) inspect any crops growing on that land or kept on it;

(e) mark any animal or other thing for identification purposes;

(f) have access to, inspect and copy any records (in whatever form they are held) kept in relation to activities covered by these Regulations or remove such records to enable them to be copied;

(g) have access to, inspect and check the operation of, any computer and any associated apparatus or material which is or has been in use in connection with the records; and for this purpose require any person having charge of, or otherwise concerned with the operation of, the computer, apparatus or material to afford him such assistance as he may reasonably require and, where a record is kept by means of a computer, require the records to be produced in a form in which it can be taken away.

(4) An authorised person entering any premises by virtue of this regulation may take with him –

(a) such other persons as he considers necessary; and

(b) any representative of the European Commission acting for the purposes of the Council Regulation and the Commission Regulation.

(5) If an authorised person enters any unoccupied premises he shall leave them as effectively secured against unauthorised entry as he found them.

(6) Where an authorised person has entered any land, other than a building used only as a dwelling, under a power bestowed on him by other legislation he may exercise any of the powers specified in paragraphs (3) and (4) for the purposes of paragraph (1).