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1. By 2 January 2016, Member States shall have in place fully functioning structures to carry out the official controls necessary to prevent the intentional introduction into the Union of invasive alien species of Union concern. Those official controls shall apply to the categories of goods falling within the Combined Nomenclature codes to which a reference is made in the Union list, pursuant to Article 4(5).

2. Competent authorities shall carry out the appropriate risk-based controls to the goods mentioned in paragraph 1 of this Article verifying that:

(a) they are not on the Union list; or (b) they are covered by a valid permit as referred to in Article 8.

3. The controls referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, consisting of documentary, identity and where necessary, physical checks, shall take place when goods referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article are brought into the Union. Where Union law on official controls already provides for specific official controls at border entities in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 and Directives 91/496/EEC and 97/78/EC or at points of entry in accordance with Directive 2000/29/EC, for categories of goods referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, Member States shall confer the responsibility of carrying out the controls referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article to the competent authorities tasked with those controls in accordance with Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 or with point (g) of Article 2(1) of Directive 2000/29/EC.

4. The handling in free zones or free warehouses and the placing of goods referred to in paragraph 1 under the customs procedures of release for free circulation, transit, customs warehousing, inward processing, processing under customs control and temporary admission shall be subject to the declaration to the customs authorities of:

(a) the relevant entry document duly completed by the competent authorities referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article attesting that the conditions referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article are met, in cases where the controls have been carried out at border entities in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 and Directives 91/496/EEC and 97/78/EC or at points of entry in accordance with point (j) of Article 2(1) of Directive 2000/29/EC. The customs procedure indicated therein shall be followed; or (b) where goods are not subject to official controls according to Union law, other documentary evidence that the controls have been carried out with satisfactory results and the subsequent entry document. Those documents may also be submitted electronically.

5. If the controls establish non-compliance with this Regulation:

(a) customs authorities shall suspend the placing under a customs procedure or detain the goods;

(b) competent authorities referred to in paragraph 3 shall detain the goods. Where goods are detained, they shall be entrusted to the competent authority in charge of applying this Regulation. That authority shall act in accordance with national legislation. Member States may delegate specific functions to other authorities.

6. Costs incurred while the verification is carried out and those arising from any non-compliance shall be at the expense of the natural or legal person within the Union who brought the goods into the Union, except where the Member State concerned determines otherwise.

7. Member States shall put in place procedures to ensure the exchange of relevant information and the efficient and effective coordination and cooperation between all authorities involved for the verification referred to in paragraph 2.

8. Based on best practices, the Commission, together with all Member States, shall develop guidelines and training programmes to facilitate the identification and detection of invasive alien species of Union concern and the performance of efficient and effective controls.

9. Where permits have been issued in accordance with Article 8, reference to a valid permit covering the declared goods shall be made in the customs declaration or relevant notifications to the border entity.