Contract number: ECHA/2020/724  Restricted  Service contract conditions of December 2018  II.24. CHECKS AND AUDITS  Such checks and audits may be initiated at any moment during the  performance of the  contract  and up to five years starting from the payment of the balance. The audit procedure is initiated on the date of receipt of the relevant letter sent by the  contracting authority. Audits are carried out on a confidential basis.  The investigations may be carried out at any moment during the provision of the  services and up to five years starting from the payment of the balance.  11 Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 of 12 October 2017 implementing enhanced cooperation on the establishment of  the European Public Prosecutor’s Office 32  II.24.1 The contracting authority and the European Anti-Fraud Office may check or require  an audit on the  performance of the contract . This may be carried out either by OLAF’s  own staff or by any outside body authorised to do so on its behalf. II.24.2 The contractor must keep all original documents stored on any appropriate medium,  including digitised originals if authorised under national law, for a period of five years  starting from the payment of the balance. II.24.3 The contractor must grant the contracting authority’s staff and outside  personnel authorised by the contracting authority the appropriate right of access to sites and  premises where the contract is performed and to all the information, including information  in electronic format, needed to conduct such checks and audits. The contractor must  ensure that the information is readily available at the moment of the check or audit and,  if so requested, that information is handed over in an appropriate format. II.24.4 On the basis of the findings made during the audit, a provisional report is drawn  up. The contracting authority or its authorised representative must send it to the  contractor, who has 30 days following the date of receipt to submit observations. The  contractor must receive the final report within 60 days following the expiry of that  deadline to submit observations.  On the basis of the final audit findings, the contracting authority may recover all or part  of the payments made in accordance with Article II.23 and may take any other measure  which it considers necessary. II.24.5  In accordance with Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 of 11 November 1996  concerning on-the-spot checks and inspection carried out by the Commission in order  to protect the European Communities’ financial interests against  fraud and other  irregularities  and Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament  and the Council of 11 September 2013 concerning investigation conducted by the  European Anti-Fraud Office , the European Anti-Fraud Office may carry out  investigations, including on-the-spot checks and inspections, to establish whether there  has been  fraud , corruption or any other illegal activity under the contract affecting the  financial interests of the Union. Findings arising from an investigation may lead to criminal prosecution under national  law. II.24.6  The Court of Auditors, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office established by Council  Regulation (EU) 2017/19397 11  (‘the EPPO’) and, for the processing of personal data, the  European Data Protection Supervisor have the same rights as the contracting authority,  particularly right of access, for the purpose of checks, audits and investigations. 