1. Competent authorities shall verify compliance of economic operators, EU carriers, non-EU carriers and authorised representatives, shippers, and operators, agents and masters of seagoing vessels with the obligations laid down in this Regulation, taking into account, where applicable, the information provided in self-declarations of conformity referred to in Article 5(1) and (2) and collected by certifiers and competent authorities in accordance with Article 6(6) and Article 7(1) in accordance with exemptions granted pursuant to Article 8. The competent authorities shall carry out environmental inspections, including without prior notice, and other verification measures, following a risk-based approach.