Contract no: [complete]  EC - FWC services Dec 2018  II.24. CHECKS AND AUDITS  II.24.1 The contracting authority and the European Anti-Fraud Office may check or require an audit  on the  implementation of the FWC . 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 of the last  specific contract  issued under this FWC. 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  FWC is implemented 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 the deadline to submit observations.  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 of the Council of  11 September 2013 concerning investigations 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 and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office established by Council  Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 8 (‘the EPPO’) have the same rights as the contracting authority,  particularly right of access, for the purpose of checks, audits and investigations. Such checks and audits may be initiated at any moment during the provision of the services  and up to five years starting from the payment of the balance of the last  specific contract  issued  under this FWC. 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.  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 measures which it  considers necessary.  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 of the last  specific contract  issued  under this FWC.  8 Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 of 12 October 2017 implementing enhanced cooperation on the  establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office  35