Article 14

1. Member States shall ensure that at the latest six months following the date of entry into force of this Regulation inspection structures are in place, the function of which shall be to ensure that agricultural products and foodstuffs carrying a certificate of specific character meet the criteria laid down in the specifications. 2. An inspection structure may comprise one or more designated inspection authorities and/or private bodies approved for that purpose by the Member State. Member States shall forward to the Commission lists of the authorities and/or bodies approved and their respective powers. The Commission shall publish these particulars in the Official Journal of the European Communities. 3. Designated inspection authorities and/or private bodies must offer adequate guarantees of objectivity and impartiality with regard to all producers or processors subject to their control and have permanently at their disposal the qualified staff and resources necessary to carry out inspections of agricultural products and foodstuffs covered by a Community certificate of specific character. If an inspection structure uses the services of another body for some inspections, that body must offer the same guarantees. However, the designated inspection authorities and/or approved private bodies shall continue to be responsible vis-à-vis the Member State for all inspections. As from 1 January 1998, in order to be approved by a Member State for the purpose of this Regulation, bodies must fulfil the requirements laid down in standard EN 45011 of 26 June 1989. 4. If a Member State's designated inspection authority and/or private body establishes that an agricultural product or a foodstuff carrying a certificate of specific character issued by that Member State does not meet the criteria of the specification, it shall take the steps necessary to ensure that this Regulation is complied with. It shall inform the Member State of the measures taken in carrying out its inspections. The parties concerned must be notified of all decisions taken. 5. A Member State must withdraw approval from an inspection body where the criteria referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3 are no longer fulfilled. It shall inform the Commission, which shall publish in the Official Journal of the European Communities a revised list of approved bodies. 6. Member States shall adopt the measures necessary to ensure that a producer who complies with this Regulation has access to the inspection system. 7. The costs of the inspections provided for by this Regulation shall be borne by the users of the certificate of specific character.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-10 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.