Transfer of EPC applications to the relevant competent authority of the home Member State
Article 6
1. The online tool referred to in Article 4b(1) of Directive 2005/36/EC shall transfer the EPC application to the IMI in a secure manner to be treated by the relevant competent authority in the home Member State referred to in paragraph 2 or 3 of this Article. 2. If the applicant is legally established in a Member State at the time of application, the IMI shall transfer the EPC application to the competent authority in the Member State where the applicant is legally established. The competent authority of the home Member State shall verify whether the applicant is legally established in that Member State and shall certify the fact of legal establishment in the IMI file. It shall also upload any relevant proof of the applicant's legal establishment or add a reference to the relevant national register. Where the competent authority of the home Member State is not in a position to confirm the applicant's legal establishment in its territory by any other means, it shall ask from the applicant for the evidence of his legal establishment, within one week of receipt of the EPC application referred to in Article 4b(3) of Directive 2005/36/EC. The competent authority of the home Member State shall consider those documents as missing documents pursuant to Articles 4b(3) and 4c(1) or 4d(1) of Directive 2005/36/EC. 3. In cases referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 4 of this Regulation, the IMI shall transfer the EPC application to the competent authority of the Member State that issued the required professional qualification. 4. The competent authorities in other Member States that issued evidence of professional qualifications shall cooperate and respond to any requests for information from the competent authority of the home Member State or from the competent authority of the host Member State during the EPC procedure as regards the EPC application.