Powers of authorised persons
11.—(1) An authorized person may at all reasonable times, on producing if so required some duly authenticated document showing his authority, enter on to any land, other than land used solely for the purpose of a dwelling house—
(a)to which a claim under regulation 5, an application for approval or an agreement relates; or
(b)on which he has reasonable grounds to believe that documents relating to such a claim, application or an agreement are being kept
for any of the purposes of paragraph (2).
(2) The purposes referred to in paragraph (1) are—
(a)verifying the accuracy of any particulars given to the Department in connection with any claim under regulation 5, application for approval or agreement;
(b)ascertaining if any commitment given in pursuance of these Regulations or the Community legislation and the Rural Development Programme has been duly complied with; or
(c)inspecting the land to which the claim, approval, agreement or commitment relates.
(3) An authorized person who has entered any land under paragraph (1) may for the purposes of that paragraph—
(a)inspect the land and any document, record or equipment on it which he reasonably believes relates to a claim, application or agreement mentioned in paragraph (1);
(b)require the beneficiary to produce any document or supply any additional information in his possession relating to the claim, agreement or application;
(c)where any information referred to in sub-paragraph (b) is kept by means of a computer, have access to any computer and any associated apparatus or material which is or has been used for storing that information and require that information to be reproduced in a form in which it is legible and can be taken away;
(d)require copies or extracts of any such document or other record referred to in sub-paragraph (a) or (b) to be produced;
(e)retain a copy of any document produced to him;
(f)seize and retain any document or any record which he reasonably believes may be required as evidence in proceedings under these Regulations;
(g)carry out any enquiries, checks, examinations and tests;
(h)take samples;
(i)inspect any crop growing on the land or kept on it;
(j)mark any animal or other thing for identification purposes; and
(k)inspect and count livestock on the land and may, for this purpose, require the beneficiary to arrange for the collection and securing of such livestock.
(4) An authorized person entering any land under paragraph (1) may be accompanied by—
(a)an official of the European Commission; and
(b)such other persons as he considers necessary,
and paragraphs (2) and (3) shall apply in relation to any person referred to in sub-paragraph (b) when acting under the instructions of an authorized person as if he were an authorized person.