State supervision

(1) The cooperative auditing associations are subject to supervision by the competent supervisory authority.
(2) The supervisory authority may take the measures required to ensure that the association properly performs the duties incumbent on it under this Act. The supervisory authority is in particular entitled 1. to demand from the association information on all matters concerning the performance of its duties, and the submission of audit reports and other business documents, 2. to demand regular reports from the association according to fixed criteria, 3. to take part in the members' meeting of the association through a delegate, 4. to carry out investigations at the association where required, and to enlist third parties for this. The persons entrusted with the conduct of supervisory measures, and the third parties commissioned with investigations, are entitled to enter the business premises of the association during business and working hours to carry out investigations or otherwise make findings required to exercise supervision. At an association that audits only such cooperatives as do not fall under section 53(2), first sentence, the supervisory authority must carry out an investigation under the second sentence, number 4 at least every ten years, unless the association demonstrates the voluntary conduct of a quality control or another suitable organisational investigation.
(3) For official acts under this provision, the competent authority may levy costs (fees and expenses) to cover the administrative expense. The Land governments are authorised, by ordinance, to fix the fee schedules and the fee amounts. They may transfer the authorisation to the competent supreme Land authorities. The costs incurred by the supervisory authority through an investigation carried out under subsection (2), second sentence, number 4 are to be reimbursed to it separately by the association concerned, and advanced on demand.