1. Member States shall ensure that appropriate and effective checks and monitoring mechanisms provided in accordance with national law and practice are put in place and that the authorities designated under national law carry out effective and adequate inspections on their territory in order to control and monitor compliance with the provisions and rules laid down in Directive 96/71/EC, taking into account the relevant provisions of this Directive and thus guarantee their proper application and enforcement. Notwithstanding the possibility of conducting random checks, inspections shall be based primarily on a risk assessment by the competent authorities. The risk assessment may identify the sectors of activity in which the employment of workers posted for the provision of services is concentrated on their territory. When making such a risk assessment, the carrying out of large infrastructural projects, the existence of long chains of subcontractors, geographic proximity, the special problems and needs of specific sectors, the past record of infringement, as well as the vulnerability of certain groups of workers may in particular be taken into account.

2. Member States shall ensure that inspections and controls of compliance under this Article are not discriminatory and/or disproportionate, whilst taking into account the relevant provisions of this Directive.