Article 17 Verifications and Checks

(1) The Parties agree that implementation of the Cooperation Programme is subject to verifications and checks. The Russian Federation shall cooperate and support the responsible authorities to conduct these verifications and checks.

(2) Therefore, the Russian Federation agrees to the general arrangements for management verifications (also referred to as "first level control") as set out in the Cooperation Programme document and the other documents in the meaning of point (a) of Article 2 of this Agreement.

(3) The costs for the management verifications will be paid by the beneficiaries.

However, costs for the first level control of expenditure related to technical assistance shall be paid from the technical assistance budget of the Cooperation Programme.

(4) The Managing Authority and the Audit Authority, with the support of the Group of Auditors, may conduct documentary and on-the-spot checks on the use made of the funds provided under the financial contribution of the Russian Federation and under the financial contribution of the ENI. They may also carry out a full audit (also referred to as "second level audit"), if necessary, on the basis of supporting documents of accounts and accounting documents and any other documents relating to the financing of the Cooperation Programme as a whole or of projects, throughout the duration of this Agreement and for the period of record-keeping.

(5) The Commission, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Court of Auditors and any external auditor authorised by these institutions and bodies, with the support of the Group of Auditors and in cooperation with competent national authorities may conduct documentary and on-the-spot checks on the use made of the funds provided under the financial contribution of the Russian Federation and under the financial contribution of the ENI. They may also carry out a full audit, if necessary, on the basis of supporting documents of accounts and accounting documents and any other documents relating to the financing of the Cooperation Programme/projects, throughout the duration of this Agreement and for the period of record-keeping.

(6) The Russian Federation shall grant the authorities mentioned in paragraphs 4 and 5 of this Article and their authorised agents access to sites and premises at which operations financed under this Agreement are carried out, including their computer systems, and to any documents and computerised data concerning the technical and financial management of those operations, and to take every appropriate measure to facilitate their work. Access shall be granted on conditions of strict confidentiality with regard to third parties, without prejudice to public law obligations to which they are subject. Documents must be accessible and filed in a manner permitting easy inspection, the national Parties being bound to inform the competent authorities of the exact location at which they are kept.

(7) The Russian Federation and the Managing Authority, where relevant, shall be notified of on-the-spot missions by agents or external auditors appointed/authorised by the Managing Authority, the Audit Authority, the Commission, OLAF or the European Court of Auditors.