Article 9
Written replies and their deadlines 1. Members of staff shall without delay, and normally within 15 working days following receipt, reply to all requests for information addressed to the General Secretariat. 2. Where a reasoned reply cannot be provided within the period referred to in paragraph 1, the member of staff responsible shall inform the correspondent thereof without delay. In this event, the correspondent shall be given a definitive reply as soon as possible. 3. The service and the name of the member of staff in charge of the matter shall be indicated in the reply. 4. No reply need be provided where: - an excessive number of identical letters or requests has been received; - a reply has already been given to the same request from the same person; - the request is of an improper nature. 5. Should a request in writing fall outside the area of responsibility of the member of staff receiving it, the request shall be forwarded to the competent Service of the General Secretariat without delay for handling by that service. 6. If the request is imprecise or complex, the member of staff may ask the correspondent to clarify the request. 7. If the member of staff considers that a request should have been addressed to another institution, another body, another organisation or a national administration, the member of the public shall be informed of this, and the request shall immediately be forwarded to the institution, body or administration concerned.