Article 17 Verifications and Checks

17.1 The Parties agree that implementation of the Programme is subject to verifications and checks. The Russian Federation and the Member State shall cooperate and support the responsible authorities to conduct these verifications and checks.

17.2 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 Programme/projects financing under this Agreement and 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 Programme/projects, throughout the duration of this Agreement and for the period of record-keeping.

17.3 The Commission, the European Anti-Fraud office (OLAF) and the European Court of Auditors and any external auditor authorized 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 Programme/projects financing under this Agreement and carrying 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 Programme/projects, throughout the duration of this Agreement and for the period of record-keeping.

17.4 The Russian Federation and the Member State shall grant the authorities mentioned in paragraphs 17.2 and 17.3 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.

17.5 The checks and audits described in paragraphs 17.2, 17.3 and 17.4 of this Article shall also apply to the Programme participants. To this end, the Russian Federation and the Member State shall ensure through contractual provisions and any other means at their disposal that these persons are legally bound by the same obligations toward the competent authorities, as well as to themselves, and that its own documentation can remedy any shortcoming to the effective enforcement of the said obligations.

17.6 The Russian Federation, the Member State 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.

17.7 The Russian Federation and the Member State may conduct additional checks on the use of the Programme financing under this Agreement. The Parties shall notify each other of relevant verifications and checks. The conditions and modalities of these checks shall be set out in Article 8 of the Agreement (Special Conditions).