1.The Commission shall establish a general programme of checks for the legislation and third countries concerned and submit it for an exchange of views in the Standing Veterinary Committee.
The general programme shall include information on the content and frequency of the measures to be taken by the Commission in the context of the checks.
2.The Commission may defer or bring forward certain checks or carry out additional checks when it regards that as necessary, in particular for health reasons or on the basis of the results of previous checks, after consulting the Member States in the Standing Veterinary Committee.