Initial coordination
Article 5
1. Where the procedure has been initiated by a Member State, that State shall notify the Commission and all other Member States of the initiation of the procedure without delay. Where the Commission has initiated the procedure, it shall inform all the Member States of such initiation without delay. The initiating Member State or the Commission shall communicate the information received from the manufacturer or importer in accordance with Article 4(2) to the other Member States and, where applicable, the Commission. 2. Where a Member State has initiated a procedure, other Member States shall refrain from initiating a parallel procedure concerning the same product. Where procedures concerning the same product have already been initiated in two or more Member States, only the Member State in which the procedure was initiated first shall continue the procedure. By way of derogation, Member States concerned may agree that another Member State shall act as initiating Member State. All procedures initiated in Member States other than the initiating Member State shall be suspended pending the adoption of the decision by the initiating Member State. 3. Where the Commission has initiated a procedure all Member States shall refrain from initiating procedures and, except insofar as provided for in the second subparagraph of Article 9(3), all pending national procedures shall cease. 4. Information already gathered shall be exchanged between Member States and with the Commission, upon request.