Article 9

The forms to be used by the national authorities for issuing the import authorisations referred to in Articles 4 to 7 shall conform to the model of the import authorisation set out in Annex III.

Import authorisation forms and extracts thereof shall be drawn up in duplicate, one copy, marked ‘Holder's copy’ and bearing the number 1 to be issued to the applicant, and the other, marked ‘Copy for the issuing authority’ and bearing the No 2, to be kept by the authority issuing the import authorisations. For administrative purposes the national authorities may add additional copies to form 2.

Forms shall be printed on white paper free of mechanical pulp, dressed for writing and weighing between 55 and 65 g/m². Their size shall be 210 × 297 mm; the type space between the lines shall be 4,24 mm (one sixth of an inch); the layout of the forms shall be followed precisely. Both sides of copy No 1, which is the import authorisation itself, shall in addition have a red printed guilloche-pattern background making any falsification by mechanical or chemical means apparent to the eye.

Member States shall be responsible for having the forms printed. The forms may also be printed by printers appointed by the Member State in which they are established. In the latter case, reference to the appointment by the Member State must appear on each form. Each form shall bear the printer's name and address or a mark enabling the printer to be identified.

At the time of their issue the import authorisations or extracts shall be given an issue number determined by the national authority. The import authorisation number shall be notified to the Commission electronically within the integrated network set up under Article 4.

Import authorisations and extracts shall be completed in the official language, or one of the official languages, of the Member State of issue.

The marks of the issuing national authorities and the customs offices or competent administrative authorities shall be applied by means of a stamp. However, an embossing press combined with letters or figures obtained by means of perforation, or printing on the import authorisation may be substituted for the issuing national authority's stamp. The issuing national authorities shall use any tamper-proof method to record the quantity allocated in such a way as to make it impossible to insert figures or references.

The reverse of copy No 1 and copy No 2 shall bear a box in which quantities may be entered, either by the customs authorities when import formalities are completed, or by the competent administrative authorities when an extract is issued. If the space set aside for debits on an import authorisation or extract thereof is insufficient, the competent authorities of Member States may attach one or more extension pages bearing boxes matching those on the reverse of copy No 1 and copy No 2 of the import authorisation or extract. The competent authorities of Member States shall place their stamp so that one half is on the import authorisation or extract thereof and the other half is on the extension page. If there is more than one extension page, a further stamp shall be placed in like manner across each page and the preceding page.

The competent authorities of the Member States concerned may, where indispensable, require the contents of import authorisations or extracts to be translated into the official language or one of the official languages of that Member State.

Import authorisations or extract thereof issued, entries and endorsements made by the authorities of a Member State shall have the same legal effects in each of the other Member States as import authorisations or extracts issued, entries and endorsements made by the competent authorities of these Member States. Import authorisations or extracts issued in accordance with this Regulation shall be valid throughout the customs territory of the European Community.