Article 16

Where the Commission receives a request accompanied by the information referred to in Article 15(2), it shall publish a notice in the Official Journal of the European Communities, announcing that request. The notice shall state that any relevant information concerning that request may be sent to the Commission and it shall specify the period within which interested parties may make their views known in writing.

The Commission shall examine the request. It may ask the requesting country any questions which it considers relevant and may verify the information received with the requesting country or any natural or legal person.

The Commission may carry out assessments in the requesting country. The Commission may be assisted in this task by the Member States.

The Commission shall inform the requesting country of its assessments. Where the requesting country needs an additional period of time before it fulfils the conditions laid down in Article 14(2), it may ask the Commission to postpone the decision referred to in Article 18(1) accordingly. The Commission shall take a decision on postponement in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 39.

The examination of a request shall be completed within a year of the date of publication of the notice referred to in paragraph 1. The Commission may extend this period, after informing the Committee.

The Commission shall submit its findings to the Committee.