Handling of certified copies
Article 16
1. Member States shall specify in IMI the types of certified copies that are acceptable in their territory pursuant to the legislative, regulatory or administrative provisions of that Member State and shall communicate this information to other Member States via IMI. 2. The competent authorities of Member States shall accept certified copies issued in another Member State pursuant to the legislative, regulatory or administrative provisions of that Member State. 3. In cases of duly justified doubts concerning the validity and authenticity of a copy certified in another Member State, the competent authorities shall address a request for additional information to the relevant competent authorities in the other Member State via IMI. The competent authorities of the other Member States shall cooperate and respond without undue delay. 4. Upon receipt of a certified copy from the applicant, the competent authority shall upload an electronic version of a certified document and certify in the IMI file that the copy is authentic. 5. The applicant may present the original of a document instead of a certified copy to the competent authority of the home Member State, who shall then attest in the IMI file that the electronic copy of an original document is authentic. 6. If the applicant fails to provide a certified copy of a required document within the time limit provided for in Article 4d(1) of Directive 2005/36/EC, this shall not suspend the time limits for the transfer of the application to the competent authority of the host Member State. The document shall be marked in the IMI as pending confirmation of authenticity and validity until a certified copy is received and uploaded by the competent authority of the home Member State. 7. If the applicant fails to provide a certified copy of a required document within the time limit provided for in Article 4c(1) of Directive 2005/36/EC, the competent authority of the home Member State may refuse to issue EPC for the temporary and occasional provision of services other than those covered pursuant to Article 7(4) of Directive 2005/36/EC. 8. In the event that the competent authority of the host Member State does not receive a certified copy of a required document either from the competent authority of the home Member State or from the applicant, it may take a decision based on the information available within the time limits provided for in paragraphs 2 and 3 and the second subparagraph of paragraph 5 of Article 4d of Directive 2005/36/EC.