The Regulation concerns the provisional application of Council Regulation (EC) No. 820/97 as regards the period for the mutual recognition and approval of the specifications. Article 2 determines the minimum requirements for the specification, the checks to be carried out by the competent authorities on operators and organizations, the sanctions that shall apply in case of breaches of Regulation (EC) No. 820/97 without prejudice to the system of sanctions adopted in the Member States.