Cooperation and exchange of information
1. Where required to ensure compliance with this Regulation, the competent authorities of each Member State, including customs authorities, market surveillance authorities, environmental authorities and any other competent authority with inspection functions, shall cooperate with each other, with the competent authorities of other Member States, with the Commission and, if necessary, with administrative authorities of third countries.
Where cooperation with customs authorities is needed to ensure a proper implementation of the Customs Risk Management System, competent authorities of Member States shall provide all necessary information to customs authorities in accordance with Article 47(2) of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013.
2. Where the customs authorities, the market surveillance authorities or any other competent authority of a Member State detect an infringement of this Regulation, that competent authority shall notify the environmental authority or, if not relevant, any other authority responsible for the enforcement of penalties in accordance with Article 31.
3. Member States shall ensure that their competent authorities are able to efficiently have access to and exchange between them any information necessary for the enforcement of this Regulation. Such information shall include customs related data, information on ownership and financial status, any violation of environmental law, as well as data recorded in the F-gas Portal.
The information referred to in the first subparagraph shall also be made available to competent authorities of other Member States and to the Commission when needed to ensure the enforcement of this Regulation. Competent authorities shall immediately inform the Commission of infringements of Article 16(1).
4. Competent authorities shall alert competent authorities of other Member States when they detect an infringement of this Regulation that may affect more than one Member State. Competent authorities shall, in particular, inform competent authorities of other Member States when they detect a relevant product on the market that does not comply with this Regulation, to enable that it is seized, confiscated, withdrawn or recalled from the market for disposal.
The Customs Risk Management System shall be used for the exchange of customs risk-related information.
Customs authorities shall also exchange any relevant information related to infringements of this Regulation in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 515/97 ( 28 ) and shall request assistance from the other Member States and the Commission where necessary.
Obligation to carry out checks
1. The competent authorities of Member States shall carry out checks to establish whether undertakings comply with their obligations under this Regulation.
2. The checks shall be carried out following a risk-based approach, which takes into consideration, in particular, the history of compliance of undertakings, the risk of non-compliance of a specific product with this Regulation, and any other relevant information received from the Commission, customs authorities, market surveillance authorities, environmental authorities and other authorities with inspection functions of the Member States, or from competent authorities of third countries.
The competent authorities of Member States shall also carry out checks when they are in possession of evidence or other relevant information, including based on substantiated concerns provided by third parties or the Commission, concerning potential non-compliance with this Regulation.
3. The checks referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall include:
(a)
on-site visits of establishments with the appropriate frequency and verification of relevant documentation and equipment; and
(b)
checks of online platforms pursuant to this paragraph.
Without prejudice to Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 29 ) , where an online platform, falling within the scope of Chapter III, Section 4, of that Regulation, allows distance contracts to be concluded with undertakings offering fluorinated greenhouse gases or products and equipment that contain such gases, competent authorities of Member States shall verify whether the undertaking, the fluorinated greenhouse gases, the products or the equipment offered comply with the requirements laid down in this Regulation. Competent authorities of Member States shall inform and cooperate with the Commission and with the relevant competent authorities referred to in Article 49 of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 for the purpose of ensuring compliance with that Regulation.
Checks shall be carried out without prior warning given to the undertaking, except where prior notification is necessary in order to ensure the effectiveness of the checks. Member States shall ensure that undertakings provide the competent authorities with all necessary assistance to enable those authorities to carry out the checks provided for in this Article.
4. The competent authorities of Member States shall keep records of the checks, indicating in particular their nature and results, and of the measures taken in the event of non-compliance. Records of all checks shall be kept for at least 5 years.
5. At the request of another Member State, a Member State may carry out checks or other formal investigations of undertakings suspected of being engaged in the illegal movement of gases, products or equipment covered by this Regulation and which are operating on the territory of that Member State. The requesting Member State shall be informed about the result of the check or of the investigation.
6. In carrying out the tasks assigned to it by this Regulation, the Commission may request all necessary information from competent authorities of Member States and from undertakings. When requesting information from an undertaking, the Commission shall at the same time forward a copy of the request to the competent authority of the Member State within the territory of which the undertaking’s seat is situated.
7. The Commission shall take appropriate steps to promote an adequate exchange of information and cooperation between competent authorities of Member States and between those competent authorities and the Commission. The Commission shall take appropriate steps to protect the confidentiality of information obtained under this Article.
Reporting of breaches and protection of persons reporting such breaches
Directive (EU) 2019/1937 shall apply to the reporting of breaches of this Regulation and the protection of persons reporting such breaches.
