6.—(1) For the purposes of Article 59(2) of the Control Regulation, a registered buyer of fisheries products is to be regarded as registered with the competent authority.
(2) Any person may apply to the Scottish Ministers to be registered as a registered buyer of fisheries products.
(3) Such an application must be in writing and must also—
(a)be made in such form and manner;
(b)include such information and undertakings; and
(c)be delivered to such address,
as the Scottish Ministers may specify in a notice or from time to time require.
(4) Having considered the application, the Scottish Ministers may—
(a)register the applicant unconditionally;
(b)register the applicant subject to such conditions as they consider appropriate; or
(c)refuse the application.
(5) The Scottish Ministers must notify the applicant in writing—
(a)whether or not the application has been approved; and
(b)where the application has been approved—
(i)of any conditions that may be attached to the registration under paragraph (4)(b); and
(ii)of the registration number allocated to the applicant for the purposes of this Part.
(6) The Scottish Ministers must publish the fact that a person is a registered buyer of fisheries products in such manner as they see fit.
(7) A registered buyer of fisheries products commits an offence if that buyer fails to comply with any—
(a)condition to which the registration of that buyer is subject; or
(b)undertaking provided in the application for registration.
(8) A person commits an offence if that person, in an application under this article—
(a)makes a statement which is false or misleading in a material way, knowing the statement to be false or misleading;
(b)makes a statement which is false or misleading in a material way, being reckless as to whether the statement is false or misleading; or
(c)intentionally fails to disclose any material information.
(9) The registration of a registered buyer of fisheries products may be suspended where, in the view of the Scottish Ministers, the registered buyer of fisheries products has not—
(a)complied with a condition of registration; or
(b)complied with any requirement of Article 62, 63, 64, 66 or 67 of the Control Regulation.