Article 74
1. As regards procurement, the relevant provisions of the general Financial Regulation and Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 shall apply subject to paragraphs 4 to 7 of this Article. 2. Europol may request to be associated, as contracting authority, in the award of Commission or interinstitutional contracts and in the award of contracts of other Community bodies. 3. Europol shall participate in the common central database set up and operated by the Commission pursuant to Article 95 of the general Financial Regulation. 4. Europol may conclude a contract, without having recourse to a public procurement procedure, with the Commission, the interinstitutional offices and the Translation Centre for bodies of the European Union established by Council Regulation (EC) No 2965/94 ( 7 ) for the supply of goods, provision of services or performance of work that the latter provide. 5. Europol may use joint procurement procedures with contracting authorities of the host Member State to cover its administrative needs. In such cases Article 125c of Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 shall apply mutatis mutandis. 5a. Europol may use joint procurement procedures with international organisations, provided they shall, in their procurement procedures, apply standards which offer guarantees equivalent to internationally accepted standards, specially relating to transparency, non-discrimination and prevention of conflict of interest. The Director is alone empowered to recognise the equivalence of the guarantees with the internationally accepted standards. 6. For the application of Article 101 of the general Financial Regulation, the call for tender shall provide that Europol may, before the contract is signed, either abandon the procurement or cancel the award procedure without the candidates or tenderers being entitled to claim any compensation. 7. For the application of Article 103 of the general Financial Regulation, calls for tender launched by Europol shall provide that it may suspend the procedure and may take whatever measures are necessary, including the cancellation of the procedure under the conditions laid down in that Article. For the application of Article 103 of the general Financial Regulation, the contracts concluded by Europol with economic operators shall stipulate that it may take the measures specified in that Article under the conditions laid down therein.