Investigation
Article 11
1. The Commission shall seek all information which it deems necessary to carry out an investigation. 2. Interested parties may make their views known in writing by sending the relevant information to the Commission. Those views shall be taken into consideration where they are backed by sufficient evidence. The Commission may verify the information received with the beneficiary country concerned and any interested party. 3. Parties receiving questionnaires used in the investigation shall be given at least 30 days to reply. An extension to the 30 day period may be granted, due account being taken of the time-limits of the investigation, provided that the party shows due cause for such extension, in terms of its particular circumstances. 4. The Commission may request Member States to supply information, and Member States shall take whatever steps are necessary in order to give effect to such requests. 5. The Commission may request Member States to carry out all necessary checks and inspections, particularly amongst importers, traders and Union producers, and to carry out investigations in third countries, provided that the economic operators concerned give their consent and that the government of the country in question has been officially notified and raises no objection. Member States shall take whatever steps are necessary in order to give effect to such requests from the Commission. Officials of the Commission shall be authorised, if the Commission or a MemberStateso requests, to assist the officials of Member States in carrying out their duties. 6. In cases where the number of interested parties, types of product or transactions is large, the investigation may be limited to a reasonable number of parties, products or transactions by using samples which are statistically valid on the basis of information available at the time of the selection, or to the largest representative volume of production, sales or exports which can reasonably be investigated within the time available. The final selection of parties, types of products or transactions made under these sampling provisions shall rest with the Commission, though preference shall be given to choosing a sample in consultation with, and with the consent of, the parties concerned, provided such parties make themselves known and make sufficient information available to enable a representative sample to be chosen. Where it is decided to sample and there is a degree of non-cooperation by some or all of the parties selected which is likely to materially affect the outcome of the investigation, a new sample may be selected. However, if a material degree of non-cooperation persists or there is insufficient time to select a new sample, the relevant provisions of Article 13 shall apply.