### activities will contribute directly to the following sustainable development goals in particular : sdg 2 – zero hunger ; sd 6 - clean water and sanitation ; sdg 11 – sustainable cities and communities ; sdg 12 - responsible consumption and production ; sdg 13 – climate action ; sdg 14 – life below water ; sdg 15 - life on land . ### activities will contribute directly to the achievement of the following sustainable development goals in particular : sdg 2 – zero hunger ; sd 6 - clean water and sanitation ; sdg 11 – sustainable cities and communities ; sdg 12 - responsible consumption and production ; sdg 13 – climate action ; sdg 14 – life below water ; sdg 15 - life on land .


### –biodiversity status , ecosystem protection , climate mitigation and adaptation , food security , agriculture and forestry , land use and land use change , urban and peri - urban development , natural resources management , ocean exploitation and conservation , maritime security , and other relevant domains ; ### –biodiversity status , ecosystem protection , climate mitigation and adaptation , food security and safety , agriculture and sustainable development forestry , land use and land use change , urban and peri - urban development , natural resources management , ocean exploitation and conservation , maritime security , and other relevant domains ;


### –modelling of trends and integrated scenarios for biodiversity , ecosystem services and good quality of life at different scales and horizons ; the potential contribution of biotopes and ecosystems as carbon sinks under various climate change scenarios ; ### –modelling of trends and integrated scenarios for biodiversity , ecosystem services and good quality of life at different scales and horizons ; the potential contribution of biotopes and ecosystems as carbon sinks under various climate change scenarios ; links between use of compounds and increased mortality rates for pollinators ;


### resilient and sustainable farming and forestry systems provide economic , environmental and social benefits in a changing context for primary production . in addition to contributing to food and nutrition security , they feed into dynamic value chains , manage land and natural resources as well as deliver a range of vital public goods including carbon sequestration , biodiversity preservation , pollination and public health . integrated approaches are needed to promote the multiple functions of agro - and forest systems taking into account the changing context for primary production , notably in relation to climate and environment , resource availability , demography and consumption patterns . it is also necessary to address the spatial and socio - economic dimension of agriculture and forestry activities and mobilise the potential of rural areas . ### resilient and sustainable farming and forestry systems provide economic , environmental and social benefits in a changing context for primary production . in addition to ensuring food and nutrition security , they feed into dynamic value chains , manage land and natural resources as well as deliver a range of vital public goods including carbon sequestration , biodiversity preservation , pollination and public health . integrated approaches are needed to promote the multiple functions of agro - and forest systems taking into account the changing context for primary production , notably in relation to climate and environment , resource availability , competitiveness , demography and consumption patterns . it is also necessary to address the spatial and socio - economic dimension of agriculture and forestry activities and mobilise the potential of rural areas , according to the main objectives of the common agricultural policy .


### resilient and sustainable farming and forestry systems provide economic , environmental and social benefits in a changing context for primary production . in addition to contributing to food and nutrition security , they feed into dynamic value chains , manage land and natural resources as well as deliver a range of vital public goods including carbon sequestration , biodiversity preservation , pollination and public health . integrated approaches are needed to promote the multiple functions of agro - and forest systems taking into account the changing context for primary production , notably in relation to climate and environment , resource availability , demography and consumption patterns . it is also necessary to address the spatial and socio - economic dimension of agriculture and forestry activities and mobilise the potential of rural areas . ### resilient and sustainable farming and forestry systems provide economic , environmental and social benefits in a changing context for primary production . in addition to contributing to security and food and nutrition , they feed into dynamic value chains , manage land and natural resources as well as deliver a range of vital public goods including carbon sequestration , biodiversity preservation , pollination and public health . integrated approaches are needed to promote the multiple functions of agro - and forest systems taking into account the changing context for primary production , notably in relation to climate and environment , resource availability , demography and consumption patterns . it is also necessary to address the spatial and socio - economic dimension of agriculture and forestry activities and mobilise the potential of rural areas .


### –plant pests and diseases and animal health and welfare ; alternatives to the use of contentious pesticides , antibiotics and other substances ; ### –plant pests and diseases and animal health and welfare ; alternatives to the use of contentious pesticides , antibiotics and other substances ; research in low - risk pesticides that are non - chemical as a way to support low pesticide - input pest management ;


### –land use , rural development and territorial linkages ; capitalising on the social , cultural , economic and environmental assets of rural areas for new services , business models , value chains and public goods ; ### –rural development and territorial linkages ; capitalising on the social , cultural , economic and environmental assets of rural areas for new services , business models , value chains and public goods ;


### –digital innovations in farming , forestry and across value chains and rural areas through the use of data and development of infrastructures , technologies and governance models ; ### –digital innovations in farming , forestry and across value chains and rural areas through the use of data and development of infrastructures , technologies and governance models ; identifying existing or potential means of integrating precision farming systems into small and medium sized holdings ; identifying existing or potential solutions for processing large volumes of data from different types of precision farming sensors , as well as identifying existing or potential solutions for integrating these data into user - friendly farm management support systems ;


### seas and oceans ' natural capital and ecosystem services offer significant socio - economic and welfare benefits . this potential is at risk because of the severe pressure from human and natural stressors such as pollution , overfishing , climate change , sea - level rise and extreme weather events . to prevent seas and oceans from reaching a point of no return , it is necessary to strengthen our knowledge and understanding in order to sustainably manage , protect and restore marine and coastal ecosystems and prevent marine pollution , in a context of an improved and responsible ocean governance framework . this will also include research to sustainably unlock the vast and unexploited economic potential of seas and oceans aiming at producing more food without increasing pressures on them , and also contribute to alleviate pressure on land , freshwater and ocean resources . there is a need for partnering approaches , including sea basin and macro - regional strategies , extending beyond the eu ; and for contributing to international ocean governance commitments , initiatives like the united nations decade of ocean science for sustainable development and commitments linked to the conservation of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction . ### seas and oceans ' natural capital and ecosystem services offer significant socio - economic and welfare benefits . this potential is at risk because of the severe pressure from human and natural stressors such as pollution , overfishing , climate change , sea - level rise and extreme weather events . to prevent seas and oceans from reaching a point of no return and in order to promote the value chains of the blue economy , it is necessary to strengthen our knowledge and understanding in order to sustainably manage , protect and restore marine and coastal ecosystems and prevent marine pollution , in a context of an improved and responsible ocean governance framework . this will also include research to sustainably unlock the vast and unexploited economic potential of seas and oceans aiming at producing more food without increasing pressures on them , and also contribute to alleviate pressure on land , freshwater and ocean resources . there is a need for partnering approaches , including sea basin and macro - regional strategies , extending beyond the eu ; and for contributing to international ocean governance commitments , initiatives like the united nations decade of ocean science for sustainable development and commitments linked to the conservation of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction .


### seas and oceans ' natural capital and ecosystem services offer significant socio - economic and welfare benefits . this potential is at risk because of the severe pressure from human and natural stressors such as pollution , overfishing , climate change , sea - level rise and extreme weather events . to prevent seas and oceans from reaching a point of no return , it is necessary to strengthen our knowledge and understanding in order to sustainably manage , protect and restore marine and coastal ecosystems and prevent marine pollution , in a context of an improved and responsible ocean governance framework . this will also include research to sustainably unlock the vast and unexploited economic potential of seas and oceans aiming at producing more food without increasing pressures on them , and also contribute to alleviate pressure on land , freshwater and ocean resources . there is a need for partnering approaches , including sea basin and macro - regional strategies , extending beyond the eu ; and for contributing to international ocean governance commitments , initiatives like the united nations decade of ocean science for sustainable development and commitments linked to the conservation of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction . ### seas and oceans ' natural capital and ecosystem services offer significant socio - economic and welfare benefits . this potential is at risk because of the severe pressure from human and natural stressors such as pollution , overfishing , climate change , sea - level rise and extreme weather events . to prevent seas and oceans from reaching a point of no return , it is necessary to strengthen our knowledge and understanding in order to sustainably manage , protect and restore marine and coastal ecosystems and prevent marine pollution , in a context of an improved and responsible ocean governance framework . this will also include research to sustainably unlock the vast and unexploited economic potential of seas and oceans aiming at producing more food without increasing pressures on them , and also contribute to alleviate pressure on land , freshwater and ocean resources . there is a need for partnering approaches , including sea basins , fishing districts and macro - regional strategies , including those extending beyond the eu ; and for contributing to international ocean governance commitments , initiatives like the united nations decade of ocean science for sustainable development and commitments linked to the conservation of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction .


### –blue value - chains , the multiple - use of marine space and growth of the renewable energy sector from seas and oceans , including sustainable micro - and macro - algae ; ### –blue value - chains , the multiple - use of marine space and growth of the renewable energy sector from seas and oceans , including sustainable micro - and macro - algae , investing in maritime technologies and services such as ocean energy and marine biotechnology ;


### –blue innovation including in the blue and digital economies , across coastline areas , coastal cities and ports in order to strengthen resilience of coastal areas and increase citizens ' benefits . ### –blue innovation including in the blue and digital economies , across coastline areas , coastal cities and ports in order to strengthen resilience of coastal areas and combat their gradual depopulation by supporting employment and encouraging sustainable tourism over time .


### the combined effects of population growth , resource scarcity and overexploitation , environmental degradation , climate change and migration create unprecedented challenges which require food system transformation . 20 current food production and consumption are largely unsustainable while we are confronted with the double burden of malnutrition , characterised by the coexistence of undernutrition and obesity . future food systems need to deliver sufficient safe , healthy and quality food for all , underpinned by resource efficiency , sustainability , linking land and sea , reducing food waste , enhancing food production from the seas and oceans and encompassing the entire ' food value chain ' from producers to consumers – and back again . this needs to go hand in hand with development of the food safety system of the future and the design , development and delivery of tools , technologies and digital solutions that provide significant benefits for consumers and improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the food value chain . furthermore , there is a need to foster behavioural changes in food consumption and production patterns as well as to engage primary producers , industry , retailers , food service sectors , consumers , and public services . _________________ 20 swd 319 final : european research and innovation for food and nutrition security ### the combined effects of population growth , resource scarcity and overexploitation , environmental degradation , climate change and migration create unprecedented challenges which require food system transformation . 20 current food production and consumption patterns are to some extent unsustainable while we are confronted with the double burden of malnutrition , characterised by the coexistence of undernutrition and obesity . future food systems need to deliver sufficient safe , healthy , diverse , affordable and quality food for all , underpinned by resource efficiency , economic and environmental sustainability , linking land and sea , reducing food waste , enhancing food production from the seas and oceans and encompassing the entire ' food value chain ' from producers to consumers – and back again . this needs to go hand in hand with development of the food safety system of the future and the design , development and delivery of tools , technologies and digital solutions that provide significant benefits for producers and consumers and improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the food value chain . furthermore , there is a need to foster behavioural changes in food consumption and production patterns towards nutritious and healthy diets , as well as to engage primary producers , industry , retailers , food service sectors , consumers , and public services . _________________ 20 swd 319 final : european research and innovation for food and nutrition security


### –modern food safety and authenticity systems , enhancing consumer confidence in the food system ; ### –new modern food safety and authenticity systems , enhancing consumer confidence in the food system ;


### tariff - rate quotas for specific agricultural products referred to in annex ii shall be administered by the commission pursuant to the rules laid down in accordance with article 184 of regulation no 1308 / 2013 . ### tariff - rate quotas for specific agricultural products referred to in annex ii shall be administered by the commission pursuant to the rules laid down in accordance with article 184 of regulation no 1308 / 2013 . for the purpose of establishing the implementation plans and the arrangements for monitoring and assessment , on - line reporting on the utilisation of agricultural - related tariff - rate quotas is available via dedicated websites of the commission .


### where a product originating in ukraine is imported on terms which cause , or threaten to cause , serious difficulties to a community producer of like or directly competing products , common customs tariff duties on such product may be reintroduced at any time by the council acting by qualified majority on a proposal from the commission . ### where a product originating in ukraine is imported on terms which cause , or threaten to cause , serious difficulties to a community producer of like or directly competing products , common customs tariff duties on such product may be reintroduced at any time by the council acting by qualified majority on a proposal from the commission . the commission shall put in place a system to monitor the volumes for which concessions have been granted , linked to price levels on the internal markets of the products concerned , so that if those markets deteriorate and an eu producer has problems , the common customs tariff can be re - established immediately .


### the use of hired vehicles can reduce the costs of undertakings carrying goods on their own account or for hire and reward and at the same time increase their operational flexibility . it can therefore contribute to an increase in the productivity and competitiveness of the undertakings concerned . moreover , as hired vehicles tend to be younger than the average fleet , they are also safer and less polluting . ### the use of hired vehicles can reduce the costs of undertakings carrying goods on their own account or for hire and reward and at the same time increase their operational flexibility . it can therefore contribute to an increase in the productivity and competitiveness of the undertakings concerned . moreover , as hired vehicles tend to be younger than the average fleet , they may often be safer and less polluting .


### the level of road transport taxation still differs considerably within the union . therefore , certain restrictions , which also indirectly affect the freedom to provide vehicle hiring services , remain justified in order to avoid fiscal distortions . consequently , member states should have the option to limit the length of time a vehicle hired in a member state other than the one of establishment of the undertaking hiring it can be used within their respective territories . ### certain restrictions , which also indirectly affect the freedom to provide vehicle hiring services , remain justified to achieve legitimate objectives such as road safety , taxation policy , protection of the environment or improvement of the welfare or employment rights and conditions of drivers in order to avoid fiscal distortions . consequently , for example , member states should have the option to limit the length of time a vehicle hired in another member state can be used within their respective territories , and to restrict the use of heavier or older hired vehicles for own account transport operations .


### the implementation and effects of this directive should be monitored by the commission and be documented by it in a report . any future action in this area should be considered in light of that report . ### the implementation and effects of this directive should be monitored by the commission and be documented by it in a report . any future action in this area should be considered in light of that report . this should include whether additional requirements to consolidate and safeguard traceable links between undertakings and vehicles should be introduced , such as mandatory declaration of vehicle number plates of hired vehicles in national electronic registers and anti - avoidance provisions against so - called ‘ letterbox’ companies .


### member states shall take the necessary measures to ensure that their undertakings may use hired vehicles for the carriage of goods by road under the same conditions as vehicles owned by them , provided that the conditions laid down in article 2 are satisfied . ### member states shall take the necessary measures to ensure that undertakings established within their territories may use hired vehicles that have been registered or put into circulation within the previous five years for the carriage of goods by road under the same conditions as vehicles owned by them provided that the conditions laid down in article 2 are satisfied .


### by [ op : please insert the date calculated 5 years after the deadline for transposition of the directive ] , the commission shall submit a report to the european parliament and the council on the implementation and effects of this directive . the report shall include information on the use of vehicles hired in a member state other than the member state of establishment of the undertaking hiring the vehicle . on the basis of this report , the commission shall assess whether it is necessary to propose additional measures . ### article 5a review by [ op : please insert the date calculated three years after the deadline for transposition of the directive ] , the commission shall submit a report to the european parliament and the council on the implementation and effects of this directive . the report shall include information on the use of vehicles hired in a member state other than the member state of establishment of the undertaking hiring the vehicle . particular attention should be paid to the impact of the revised directive on the functioning of the eu road haulage market and relative usage rates between hired and owned vehicles , as well as any road safety , social or environmental effects . the report shall also assess infringements of this directive and any particular issues arising in relation to the use of hired vehicles and illegal cabotage or so called ‘ letterbox’ companies , in addition to any fiscal distortions regarding national taxation requirements and income . on the basis of this report , the commission shall assess whether it is necessary to propose additional measures , including legislative measures where necessary .


### by [ op : please insert the date calculated 5 years after the deadline for transposition of the directive ] , the commission shall submit a report to the european parliament and the council on the implementation and effects of this directive . the report shall include information on the use of vehicles hired in a member state other than the member state of establishment of the undertaking hiring the vehicle . on the basis of this report , the commission shall assess whether it is necessary to propose additional measures . ### by [ op : please insert the date calculated 5 years after the deadline for transposition of the directive ] , the commission shall submit a report to the european parliament and the council on the implementation and effects of this directive . the report shall include information on the use of vehicles hired in a member state other than the member state in which the undertaking hiring the vehicle has its head office . on the basis of this report , the commission shall assess whether it is necessary to propose additional measures .


### the cross - border cooperation component should aim to tackle common challenges identified jointly in the border regions , and to exploit the untapped growth potential in border areas as evidenced in the communication of the commission ' boosting growth and cohesion in eu border regions’23 . consequently , the cross - border component should be limited to cooperation on land borders and cross - border cooperation on maritime borders should be integrated into the transnational component . __________________ 23 communication from the commission to the council and the european parliament ' boosting growth and cohesion in eu border regions ' - com 534 final , 20 . 9 . 2017 . ### the cross - border cooperation component should aim to tackle common challenges , including cultural differences and language barriers , identified jointly in the border regions , as these may hinder integration , restrict interaction and scale down opportunities for people and businesses on both sides of the border , and to exploit the untapped growth potential in border areas as evidenced in the communication of the commission ' boosting growth and cohesion in eu border regions’23 . consequently , the cross - border component should be limited to cooperation on land borders and cross - border cooperation on maritime borders should be integrated into the transnational component . __________________ 23 communication from the commission to the council and the european parliament ' boosting growth and cohesion in eu border regions ' - com 534 final , 20 . 9 . 2017 .


### the cross - border cooperation component should aim to tackle common challenges identified jointly in the border regions , and to exploit the untapped growth potential in border areas as evidenced in the communication of the commission ' boosting growth and cohesion in eu border regions’23 . consequently , the cross - border component should be limited to cooperation on land borders and cross - border cooperation on maritime borders should be integrated into the transnational component . _________________ 23 communication from the commission to the council and the european parliament ' boosting growth and cohesion in eu border regions ' - com 534 final , 20 . 9 . 2017 . ### the cross - border cooperation component should aim to tackle common challenges identified jointly in the internal border regions and / or at the borders with the non - eu states and to exploit all the specificities of these regions and the untapped growth potential in border areas as evidenced in the communication of the commission ' boosting growth and cohesion in eu border regions’23 . consequently , the cross - border component should be limited to cooperation on land borders and cross - border cooperation on maritime borders should be integrated into the transnational component . _________________ 23 communication from the commission to the council and the european parliament ' boosting growth and cohesion in eu border regions ' - com 534 final , 20 . 9 . 2017 .


### the cross - border cooperation component should also involve cooperation between one or more member states and one or more countries or other territories outside the union . covering internal and external cross - border cooperation under this regulation should result in a major simplification and streamlining of applicable provisions for the programme authorities in the member states and for the partner authorities and beneficiaries outside the union compared to the programming period 2014 - 2020 . ### the cross - border cooperation component should also involve cooperation between competent authorities at national , local and / or regional level in one or more member states and one or more countries or other territories outside the union . covering internal and external cross - border cooperation under this regulation should result in a major simplification and streamlining of applicable provisions for the programme authorities in the member states and for the partner authorities and beneficiaries outside the union compared to the programming period 2014 - 2020 .


### based on the experience with the interregional cooperation programmes under interreg and the lack of such cooperation within programmes under the investment for jobs and growth goal during the programming period 2014 - 2020 , the interregional cooperation component should focus more specifically on boosting the effectiveness of cohesion policy . that component should therefore be limited to two programmes , one to enable all kind of experience , innovative approaches and capacity building for programmes under both goals and to promote european groupings of territorial cooperation set up or to be set up pursuant to regulation no 1082 / 2006 of the european parliament and of the council24 and one to improve the analysis of development trends . project - based cooperation throughout the union should be integrated into the new component on interregional innovation investments and closely linked to the implementation of the communication from the commission ' strengthening innovation in europe ' s regions : strategies for resilient , inclusive and sustainable growth ' 25 , in particular to support thematic smart specialisation platforms on fields such as energy , industrial modernisation or agrifood . finally , integrated territorial development focusing on functional urban areas or urban areas should be concentrated within programmes under the investment for jobs and growth goal and in one accompanying instrument , the ‘ european urban initiative” . the two programmes under the interregional cooperation component should cover the whole union and should also be open for the participation of third countries . _________________ 24 regulation no 1082 / 2006 of the european parliament and of the council of 5 july 2006 on a european grouping of territorial cooperation . 25 communication from the commission to the european parliament , the council , the european economic and social committee and the committee of the regions : strengthening innovation in europe ' s regions : strategies for resilient , inclusive and sustainable growth ' - com 376 final , 18 . 7 . 2017 . ### based on the experience with the interregional cooperation programmes under interreg and the lack of such cooperation within programmes under the investment for jobs and growth goal during the programming period 2014 - 2020 , the interregional cooperation component should focus more specifically on boosting the effectiveness of cohesion policy . that component should therefore be limited to two programmes , one to enable all kind of experience , innovative approaches and capacity building for programmes under both goals and to promote european groupings of territorial cooperation set up or to be set up pursuant to regulation no 1082 / 2006 of the european parliament and of the council24 and one to improve the analysis of development trends . project - based cooperation throughout the union should be integrated into the new component on interregional innovation investments and closely linked to the implementation of the communication from the commission ' strengthening innovation in europe ' s regions : strategies for resilient , inclusive and sustainable growth ' 25 , in particular to support thematic smart specialisation platforms on fields such as energy , industrial modernisation or agrifood . finally , integrated territorial development focusing on functional urban areas or urban areas should be concentrated within programmes under the investment for jobs and growth goal and in one accompanying instrument , the ‘ european urban initiative” . the two programmes under the interregional cooperation component should cover the whole union , and should also be open for the participation of third countries ; in addition , again based on the experience of etc programming in the 2014 - 2020 period , the development of natural and cultural resources should be the priority of these two programmes . _________________ 24 regulation no 1082 / 2006 of the european parliament and of the council of 5 july 2006 on a european grouping of territorial cooperation . 25 communication from the commission to the european parliament , the council , the european economic and social committee and the committee of the regions : strengthening innovation in europe ' s regions : strategies for resilient , inclusive and sustainable growth ' - com 376 final , 18 . 7 . 2017 .


### based on the experience with the interregional cooperation programmes under interreg and the lack of such cooperation within programmes under the investment for jobs and growth goal during the programming period 2014 - 2020 , the interregional cooperation component should focus more specifically on boosting the effectiveness of cohesion policy . that component should therefore be limited to two programmes , one to enable all kind of experience , innovative approaches and capacity building for programmes under both goals and to promote european groupings of territorial cooperation set up or to be set up pursuant to regulation no 1082 / 2006 of the european parliament and of the council and one to improve the analysis of development trends . project - based cooperation throughout the union should be integrated into the new component on interregional innovation investments and closely linked to the implementation of the communication from the commission ' strengthening innovation in europe ' s regions : strategies for resilient , inclusive and sustainable growth ' , in particular to support thematic smart specialisation platforms on fields such as energy , industrial modernisation or agrifood . finally , integrated territorial development focusing on functional urban areas or urban areas should be concentrated within programmes under the investment for jobs and growth goal and in one accompanying instrument , the ‘ european urban initiative” . the two programmes under the interregional cooperation component should cover the whole union and should also be open for the participation of third countries . _________________ 24 regulation no 1082 / 2006 of the european parliament and of the council of 5 july 2006 on a european grouping of territorial cooperation . 25 communication from the commission to the european parliament , the council , the european economic and social committee and the committee of the regions ' strengthening innovation in europe ' s regions : strategies for resilient , inclusive and sustainable growth ' - com 376 final , 18 . 7 . 2017 . ### based on the experience with the four traditional interregional cooperation programmes under interreg and the lack of such cooperation within programmes under the investment for jobs and growth goal during the programming period 2014 - 2020 , the interregional cooperation component should focus more specifically on boosting the effectiveness of cohesion policy . that component should therefore be limited to two programmes , one to enable all kind of experience , innovative approaches and capacity building for programmes under both goals and to promote european groupings of territorial cooperation set up or to be set up pursuant to regulation no 1082 / 2006 of the european parliament and of the council24 and one to improve the analysis of development trends . project - based cooperation throughout the union should be integrated into the new component on interregional innovation investments and closely linked to the implementation of the communication from the commission ' strengthening innovation in europe ' s regions : strategies for resilient , inclusive and sustainable growth ' 25 , in particular to support thematic smart specialisation platforms on fields such as energy , industrial modernisation or agrifood . finally , integrated territorial development focusing on functional urban areas or urban areas should be concentrated within programmes under the investment for jobs and growth goal and in one accompanying instrument , the ‘ european urban initiative’ . the two programmes under the interregional cooperation component should cover the whole union and should also be open for the participation of third countries . _________________ 24 regulation no 1082 / 2006 of the european parliament and of the council of 5 july 2006 on a european grouping of territorial cooperation . 25 communication from the commission to the european parliament , the council , the european economic and social committee and the committee of the regions ' strengthening innovation in europe ' s regions : strategies for resilient , inclusive and sustainable growth ' - com 376 final , 18 . 7 . 2017 .


### objective criteria for designating eligible regions and areas should be established . to this end , the identification of eligible regions and areas at union level should be based on the common system of classification of the regions established by regulation no 1059 / 2003 of the european parliament and of the council [ 5 ] . _________________ 26 regulation no 1059 / 2003 of the european parliament and of the council of 26 may 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics . ### common objective criteria for designating eligible regions and areas should be established . to this end , the identification of eligible regions and areas at union level should be based on the common system of classification of the regions established by regulation no 1059 / 2003 of the european parliament and of the council26 . _________________ 26 regulation no 1059 / 2003 of the european parliament and of the council of 26 may 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics .


### in view of the specific situation of outmost regions of the union , it is necessary to adopt measures concerning the conditions under which those regions may have access to structural funds . consequently , certain provisions of this regulation should be adapted to the specificities of the outermost regions in order to simplify and foster cooperation with their neighbors , while taking into account the communication from the commission ' a stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the eu ' s outermost regions ' 31 . _________________ 31 communication from the commission to the european parliament , the council , the european economic and social committee , the committee of the regions and the european investment bank ' a stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the eu ' s outermost regions ' , - com 623 final , 24 . 10 . 2017 . ### in view of the specific situation of island and outmost regions of the union , it is necessary to adopt measures concerning the conditions under which those regions may have access to structural funds . consequently , certain provisions of this regulation should be adapted to the specificities of the island and outermost regions in order to simplify and foster cooperation with their neighbors , while taking into account the communication from the commission ' a stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the eu ' s outermost regions ' 31 . _________________ 31 communication from the commission to the european parliament , the council , the european economic and social committee , the committee of the regions and the european investment bank ' a stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the eu ' s outermost regions ' , - com 623 final , 24 . 10 . 2017 .


### the major part of the union support should be concentrated on a limited number of policy objectives in order to maximise the impact of interreg . ### the major part of the union support should be concentrated on a limited number of policy objectives in order to maximise the impact of interreg and achievement of the proposed objectives by the deadline laid down .


### provisions on the preparation , approval and amendment of interreg programmes as well as on territorial development , on the selection of operations , on monitoring and evaluation , on the programme authorities , on audit of operations , and on transparency and communication should be adapted to the specificities of interreg programmes compared to the provisions set out in regulation [ new cpr ] . ### provisions on the preparation , approval and amendment of interreg programmes as well as on territorial development , on the selection of operations , on monitoring and evaluation , on the programme authorities , on audit of operations , and on transparency and communication should be adapted to the specificities of interreg programmes compared to the provisions set out in regulation [ new cpr ] . these specific provisions shall be kept simple and clear in order to avoid gold - plating and additional administrative burden for member states and beneficiaries .


### due to the involvement of more than one member state , and the resulting higher administrative costs , in particular in respect of controls and translation , the ceiling for technical assistance expenditure should be higher than that under the investment for jobs and growth goal . in order to offset the higher administrative costs , member states should be encouraged to reduce the administrative burden with regard to the implementation of joint projects wherever possible . in addition , interreg programmes with limited union support or external cross - border cooperation programmes should receive a certain minimum amount for technical assistance to ensure sufficient funding for effective technical assistance activities . ### due to the involvement of more than one member state and one or more third countries , and the resulting higher administrative costs , in particular in respect of controls and translation , the ceiling for technical assistance expenditure should be higher than that under the investment for jobs and growth goal . in order to offset the higher administrative costs , member states should be encouraged to reduce the administrative burden with regard to the implementation of joint projects wherever possible . in addition , interreg programmes with limited union support or external cross - border cooperation programmes should receive a certain minimum amount for technical assistance to ensure sufficient funding for effective technical assistance activities .


### the implementing act referred to in paragraph 1 shall also contain a list specifying those nuts level 3 regions of the union taken into account for the erdf allocation for cross - border cooperation at all internal borders and those external borders covered by the external financing instruments of the union as well as a list specifying those nuts level 3 regions taken into account for allocation purposes under component 2b referred to in point of article 9 . ### the implementing act referred to in paragraph 1 shall also contain a list specifying those nuts level 3 regions of the union taken into account for the erdf allocation for cross - border cooperation at all internal land and maritime borders and those external borders covered by the external financing instruments of the union as well as a list specifying those nuts level 3 regions taken into account for allocation purposes under component 2b referred to in point of article 9 .


### the erdf resources for the european territorial cooperation goal shall amount to eur&#160 ; 8&#160 ; 430&#160 ; 000&#160 ; 000 of the global resources available for budgetary commitment from the erdf , esf + and the cohesion fund for the 2021 - 2027 programming period and set out in article [ 102 ] of regulation [ new cpr ] . ### the erdf resources for the european territorial cooperation goal for components 1 - 5 in article 3 shall amount to 3 . 3&#160 ; % where component 5 amounts to 0 . 3&#160 ; % of the global resources available for budgetary commitment from the erdf , esf + and the cohesion fund for the 2021 - 2027 programming period and set out in article [ 103 ] of regulation [ new cpr ] .


### 7 % for cross - border cooperation ; ### 75% for cross - border land and maritime cooperation ;


### nuts level 3 regions for component 1 and those nuts level 3 regions for component 2b listed in the implementing act under article 8 ; ### nuts level 3 regions for component 1 listed in the implementing act under article&#160 ; 8 ;


### nuts level 2 regions for components 2a and 3 . ### nuts level 2 regions for component 2 .


### the interreg programme cannot be implemented as planned due to problems in relations between the participating countries . ### in duly justified cases , where the interreg programme cannot be implemented as planned due to serious problems in relations between the participating countries .


### each managing authority shall electronically transmit to the commission cumulative data for the respective interreg programme by 31 january , 31 march , 31 may , 31 july , 30 september and 30 november of each year in accordance with the template in annex [ vii ] to regulation [ new cpr ] . ### each managing authority shall electronically transmit to the commission data for the respective interreg programme pursuant to article 31 by 31 january , 31 may and 30 september of each year as well as data pursuant to article 31 once per year in accordance with the template in annex [ vii ] to regulation [ new cpr ] .


### the managing authority shall carry out evaluations of each interreg programme . each evaluation shall assess the programme ' s effectiveness , efficiency , relevance , coherence and eu added value with the aim to improve the quality of the design and implementation of the respective interreg programme . ### the managing authority shall carry out evaluations of each interreg programme . each evaluation shall assess the programme ' s effectiveness , efficiency , relevance , coherence and eu added value with the aim to improve the quality of the design and implementation of the respective interreg programme . the frequency of evaluations to be determined in the evaluation plan mentioned in paragraph 5 below shall not be higher than once per year .


### for interreg operations not falling under point , publicly displaying at least one printed or electronic display of a minimum size a3 with information about the interreg operation highlighting the support from an interreg fund ; ### for interreg operations not falling under point , publicly displaying at least one printed and , where applicable , electronic display of a minimum size a2 with information about the interreg operation highlighting the support from an interreg fund ;


### as a flat rate in accordance with article [ 50 ] of regulation [ new cpr ] . ### direct staff costs of an operation may be calculated at a flat rate of up to 20 % of the direct costs other than the direct staff costs of that operation , without there being a requirement for the member state to perform a calculation to determine the applicable rate .


### where the global extrapolated error rate referred to in paragraph 6 is above 2% of the total expenditure declared for the interreg programmes included in the population from which the common sample was selected , the commission shall calculate a global residual error rate , taking account of financial corrections applied by the respective interreg programme authorities for individual irregularities detected by the audits of operations selected pursuant to paragraph 1 . ### where the global extrapolated error rate referred to in paragraph 6 is above 3 . 5 % of the total expenditure declared for the interreg programmes included in the population from which the common sample was selected , the commission shall calculate a global residual error rate , taking account of financial corrections applied by the respective interreg programme authorities for individual irregularities detected by the audits of operations selected pursuant to paragraph 1 .


### where the global residual error rate referred to in paragraph 7 is above 2% of the expenditure declared for the interreg programmes included in the population from which the common sample was selected , the commission shall determine whether it is necessary to request the audit authority of a specific interreg programme or a group of interreg programmes most affected to carry out additional audit work in order to further evaluate the error rate and assess the required corrective measures for the interreg programmes affected by the irregularities detected . ### where the global residual error rate referred to in paragraph 7 is above 3 . 5 % of the expenditure declared for the interreg programmes included in the population from which the common sample was selected , the commission shall determine whether it is necessary to request the audit authority of a specific interreg programme or a group of interreg programmes most affected to carry out additional audit work in order to further evaluate the error rate and assess the required corrective measures for the interreg programmes affected by the irregularities detected .


### where all or part of a component 3 interreg programme is implemented under indirect management , article 60 shall apply . ### where all or part of a component 3 interreg programme is implemented under indirect management , a prior agreement between member states and regions concerned is needed and article 60 shall apply .


### at the initiative of the commission , the erdf may support interregional innovation investments , as set out in point 5 of article 3 , bringing together researchers , businesses , civil society and public administrations involved in smart specialisation strategies established at national or regional levels . ### at the initiative of the commission , the erdf may support interregional innovation investments , as set out in point 5 of article 3 , bringing together researchers , businesses , civil society and public administrations involved in smart specialisation strategies and social innovation strategies established at national or regional levels .


### the treaty on the functioning of the european union provides for the creation of an area of freedom , security and justice , with respect for fundamental rights and the different legal systems and traditions of the member states . to that end , the union may adopt measures to develop judicial cooperation in civil matters and judicial cooperation in criminal matters and to promote and support the action of member states in the field of crime prevention . respect for fundamental rights as well as for common principles and values , such as non - discrimination , gender equality , effective access to justice for all , the rule of law and a well - functioning independent judicial system shall be ensured in the further development of a european area of justice . ### the treaty on the functioning of the european union provides for the creation of an area of freedom , security and justice , with respect for fundamental rights and the different legal systems and traditions of the member states . to that end , the union may adopt measures to develop judicial cooperation in civil matters and judicial cooperation in criminal matters and to promote and support the action of member states in the field of crime prevention . respect for fundamental rights as well as for common principles and values , such as non - discrimination , gender equality , effective , universal and gender - sensitive access to justice for all , the rule of law , protection of vulnerable groups , such as people living in poverty with limited access to justice , women and children , and a well - functioning independent judicial system shall be ensured in the further development of a european area of justice .


### the treaty on the functioning of the european union provides for the creation of an area of freedom , security and justice , with respect for fundamental rights and the different legal systems and traditions of the member states . to that end , the union may adopt measures to develop judicial cooperation in civil matters and judicial cooperation in criminal matters and to promote and support the action of member states in the field of crime prevention . respect for fundamental rights as well as for common principles and values , such as non - discrimination , gender equality , effective access to justice for all , the rule of law and a well - functioning independent judicial system shall be ensured in the further development of a european area of justice . ### the treaty on the functioning of the european union provides for the creation of an area of freedom , security and justice , with respect for fundamental rights and the different legal systems and traditions of the member states . to that end , the union may adopt measures to develop judicial cooperation in civil matters and judicial cooperation in criminal matters and to promote and support the action of member states in the field of crime prevention . respect for fundamental rights as well as for common principles and values , such as non - discrimination , gender equality , effective access to justice for all , equality before the law , the rule of law and a well - functioning independent judicial system shall be ensured in the further development of a european area of justice .


### judicial training can involve different actors , such as member states’ legal , judicial and administrative authorities , academic institutions , national bodies responsible for judicial training , european - level training organisations or networks , or networks of court coordinators of union law . bodies and entities pursuing a general european interest in the field of training of the judiciary , such as the european judicial training network , the academy of european law , the european network of councils for the judiciary , the association of the councils of state and supreme administrative jurisdictions of the european union , the network of the presidents of supreme judicial courts of the european union and the european institute of public administration , should continue to play their role in promoting training programmes with a genuine european dimension for the judiciary and judicial staff , and could therefore be granted adequate financial support in accordance with the procedures and the criteria set out in the annual work programmes adopted by the commission pursuant to this regulation . ### judicial training can involve different actors , such as member states’ legal , judicial and administrative authorities , academic institutions , national bodies responsible for judicial training , european - level training organisations or networks , or networks of court coordinators of union law . bodies and entities pursuing a general european interest in the field of training of the judiciary , such as the european judicial training network , the academy of european law , the european network of councils for the judiciary , the association of the councils of state and supreme administrative jurisdictions of the european union , the network of the presidents of supreme judicial courts of the european union and the european institute of public administration , should continue to play their role in promoting training programmes with a genuine european dimension for the judiciary and judicial staff , and could therefore be granted adequate financial support in accordance with the procedures and the criteria set out in the annual work programmes adopted by the commission pursuant to this regulation . taking into account that women judges are underrepresented in the top positions , women judges , prosecutors and other legal professions shall be encouraged to participate in the training activities .


### ensuring traceability of ppe throughout the supply chain helps to make market surveillance simpler and more efficient . an efficient traceability system facilitates the market surveillance authorities ' task of tracing economic operators who made non - compliant product available on the market . ### ensuring traceability of ppe throughout the whole supply chain helps to make market surveillance simpler and more efficient . an efficient traceability system facilitates the market surveillance authorities ' task of tracing economic operators who made non - compliant ppe available on the market and to determine precisely , clearly and transparently the share of responsibility borne by each operator .


### the requirement in other internal market legislation to supply an eu declaration of conformity with the equipment has been found to facilitate and to enhance the efficiency of market surveillance and should therefore also be introduced into this regulation . it should be possible to provide a simplified eu declaration of conformity in order to reduce the burden associated with this requirement without reduction of its effectiveness . both possibilities should therefore be provided for in this regulation . ### market surveillance authorities should have easy access to the declaration of conformity . in order to fulfil that requirement , manufacturers should ensure the ppe is accompanied by a full copy of the declaration of conformity and the internet address at which the eu declaration of conformity can be accessed . the manufacturer should also be able to choose to provide a simplified declaration of conformity .


### manufacturers shall , further to a reasoned request from a competent national authority , provide it with all the information and documentation necessary to demonstrate the conformity of the ppe , in a language which can be easily understood by that authority . they shall cooperate with that authority , at its request , on any action taken to eliminate the risks posed by ppe which they have placed on the market . ### manufacturers shall , further to a reasoned request from a competent national authority , provide it with all the information and documentation necessary , in paper or preferably electronic form , to demonstrate the conformity of the ppe , in the official language of that authority . they shall cooperate with that authority , at its request , on any action taken to eliminate the risks posed by ppe which they have placed on the market .


### manufacturers who consider or have reason to believe that ppe which they have placed on the market is not in conformity with this regulation shall immediately take the necessary corrective measures to bring it into conformity , to withdraw it or to recall it , as appropriate . furthermore , where the ppe presents a risk , manufacturers shall immediately inform the market surveillance authorities of the member states in which they made the ppe available on the market to that effect , giving details , in particular , of the non - conformity and of any corrective measures taken . ### manufacturers who consider or have reason to believe that ppe which they have placed on the market is not in conformity with this regulation shall immediately take the necessary corrective measures to bring it into conformity , to withdraw it or to recall it , as appropriate . furthermore , where the ppe presents a risk , manufacturers shall immediately inform the market surveillance authorities of the member states in which they made the ppe available on the market and , where necessary , in a suitable manner , consumers who might be endangered by the product non - conformity to that effect , giving details , in particular , of the non - conformity and of any corrective measures taken .


### importers who consider or have reason to believe that ppe which they have placed on the market is not in conformity with this regulation shall immediately take the corrective measures necessary to bring the ppe into conformity , to withdraw it or to recall it , as appropriate . furthermore , where the ppe presents a risk , importers shall immediately inform the market surveillance authorities of the member states in which they made the ppe available on the market to that effect , giving details , in particular , of the non - conformity and of any corrective measures taken . ### importers who consider or have reason to believe that ppe which they have placed on the market is not in conformity with this regulation shall immediately take the corrective measures necessary to bring the ppe into conformity , to withdraw it or to recall it , as appropriate . furthermore , where the ppe presents a risk , importers shall immediately inform the market surveillance authorities of the member states in which they made the ppe available on the market and , where necessary , in a suitable manner , consumers who might be endangered by the product non - conformity to that effect , giving details , in particular , of the non - conformity and of any corrective measures taken .


### distributors who consider or have reason to believe that ppe which they have made available on the market is not in conformity with the requirements of this regulation shall make sure that the necessary corrective measures are taken to bring it into conformity , to withdraw it or to recall it , as appropriate . furthermore , where the ppe presents a risk , distributors shall immediately inform the market surveillance authorities of the member states in which they have made the ppe available on the market to that effect , giving details , in particular , of the non - conformity and of any corrective measures taken . ### distributors who consider or have reason to believe that ppe which they have made available on the market is not in conformity with the requirements of this regulation shall make sure that the necessary corrective measures are taken to bring it into conformity , to withdraw it or to recall it , as appropriate . furthermore , where the ppe presents a risk , distributors shall immediately inform the market surveillance authorities of the member states in which they have made the ppe available on the market and , if necessary , and in an appropriate manner , the consumers who could be placed at risk by virtue of the non - conformity of the product , to that effect , giving details , in particular , of the non - conformity and of any corrective measures taken .


### member states shall ensure that an appeal procedure against decisions of the notified bodies is available . ### member states shall ensure that an eu - wide appeal procedure against decisions of notified bodies is available .


### member states shall lay down the rules on penalties applicable to infringements of the provisions of this regulation and shall take all measures necessary to ensure that they are implemented . the penalties provided for must be effective , proportionate and dissuasive . member states shall notify those provisions to the commission by [ 3 months prior to the date of application of this regulation ] at the latest and shall notify it without delay of any subsequent amendment affecting them . ### member states shall lay down the rules on penalties applicable to infringements of the provisions of this regulation and shall take all measures necessary to ensure that they are implemented . the penalties provided for must be effective , proportionate and dissuasive . they must also reflect the seriousness , the duration and , if possible , the nature of the infringement and the issue of whether or not the economic operator in question has perpetrated a similar infringement in the recent past . member states shall notify those provisions to the commission by [ 3 months prior to the date of application of this regulation ] at the latest and shall notify it without delay of any subsequent amendment affecting them . member states shall notify the commission of the nature and severity of the penalties imposed under this regulation on their territory and of the identity of the recipient of each penalty . the commission shall publish this notification immediately .


### the digital single market strategy adopted by the commission on 6 may 2015 identified as one of the priorities the need to enhance consumer trust through more rapid , agile and consistent enforcement of consumer rules . the single market strategy adopted by the commission on 28 october 2015 reiterated that enforcing union consumer protection legislation should be further strengthened by the regulation on consumer protection cooperation , ### the digital single market strategy adopted by the commission on 6 may 2015 identified as one of the priorities the need to enhance consumer trust through more rapid and consistent enforcement of consumer laws . the single market strategy adopted by the commission on 28 october 2015 reiterated that enforcing union laws that protect consumers ' interests should be further strengthened by the reform of regulation no 2006 / 2004 ,


### the resulting ineffective enforcement of cross - border infringements , in particular in the digital environment , enables traders to evade enforcement by relocating within the union , giving rise to a distortion of competition for law - abiding traders operating either domestically or cross - border , and thus directly harming consumers and undermineing consumer confidence in cross - border transactions and the single market . an increased level of harmonisation setting effective and efficient enforcement cooperation among competent public enforcement authorities is therefore necessary to detect , investigate and order the cessation of intra - union infringements and widespread infringements , ### the ineffective enforcement of the laws governing cross - border infringements , including in the digital environment , enables traders to evade enforcement of those laws by relocating within the union , giving rise to a distortion of competition for law - abiding traders operating either domestically or cross - border , and thus directly harming consumers and undermining consumer confidence in cross - border transactions and the single market . an increased level of harmonisation , ensuring effective and efficient cooperation among competent public enforcement authorities , is therefore necessary in order to detect , investigate , order and force the cessation of infringements ,


### regulation no 2006 / 2004 of the european parliament and of the council established a network of competent public authorities throughout the union . effective coordination among different competent authorities participating in the network , as well as other public authorities at the level of member states , is necessary . the coordination role of the single liaison office should be entrusted to a competent authority in each member state that has sufficient powers and resources to undertake this key role in the network of competent authorities , ### regulation no 2006 / 2004 established a network of competent public authorities throughout the union . effective coordination among different competent authorities participating in the network , as well as other public authorities at the level of member states , is necessary . the coordination role of the single liaison office should be entrusted in each member state to a public authority that has sufficient powers and necessary and sufficient resources to undertake that key role ,


### consumers should also be protected from short - lived intra - union infringements and widespread infringements that only last for a short period of time but whose harmful effects may continue long after the infringement has stopped . competent authorities should have the necessary powers to investigate and order a cessation of such infringements in the future , ### consumers should also be protected against infringements that only last for a short period of time but the harmful effects of which may continue long after the infringement has stopped . competent authorities should have the necessary powers to investigate and order a cessation of such infringements ,


### competent authorities should have a minimum set of powers of investigation and enforcement to apply this regulation effectively , to cooperate with each other , and to deter traders from committing intra - union infringements and widespread infringements . those powers should be adequate to tackle the enforcement challenges of e - commerce and the digital environment where the possibilities of a trader easily concealing its identity or changing it are of particular concern . those powers should ensure that evidence can be validly exchanged among competent authorities to achieve effective enforcement at an equal level in all member states , ### competent authorities should have a consistent set of powers of investigation and enforcement , in order to apply this regulation , cooperate with each other more quickly and more efficiently and deter traders from committing infringements . those powers should be sufficient to effectively tackle the enforcement challenges of e - commerce and the digital environment and to prevent non - compliant traders from exploiting gaps in the enforcement system by relocating to member states whose competent authorities are not equipped to tackle unlawful practices . those powers should ensure that information and evidence can be validly exchanged among competent authorities to achieve effective enforcement at an equal level in all member states ,


### member states may choose whether the competent authorities exercise those powers directly under their own authority or by application to the competent courts . where the member states choose that competent authorities exercise their powers by application to the competent courts , member states should ensure that those powers can be exercised effectively and in a timely manner and that the cost of exercise of those powers be proportionate and does not hamper the application of this regulation , ### this regulation does not affect the freedom of member states to choose the enforcement system they deem appropriate . member states may choose whether the competent authorities exercise those powers directly under their own authority or under the supervision of the judicial authorities or by application to the competent courts . where the member states choose that competent authorities exercise their powers by application to the competent courts , member states should ensure that those powers can be exercised effectively and in a timely manner and that the cost of exercising those powers is proportionate and does not hamper the application of this regulation ,


### competent authorities should be in a position to open investigations on their own initiative if they become aware of intra - union infringements or widespread infringements by means other than consumer complaints . this is particularly necessary to ensure effective cooperation among competent authorities when addressing widespread infringements , ### competent authorities should be in a position to open investigations on their own initiative if they become aware of intra - union infringements or widespread infringements by means other than consumer complaints ,


### competent authorities should have access to all necessary evidence , data and information to determine whether an intra - union infringement or widespread infringement has occurred , and in particular to identify the trader responsible , irrespective of who possesses this evidence , information or data , of where it is located and of its format . competent authorities should be able to directly request that third parties in the digital value chain provide all the evidence , data and information necessary , ### competent authorities should have access to all necessary evidence , data and information relating to the subject matter of an investigation in order to determine whether an infringement has occurred , and in particular to identify the trader responsible , irrespective of who possesses the evidence , information or data in question and regardless of where it is located and of its format . competent authorities should be able to directly request that third parties in the digital value chain provide all the evidence , data and information necessary ,


### competent authorities should be able to verify compliance with consumer protection legislation and to obtain evidence of intra - union infringements or widespread infringements , especially those that take place during or after the purchase of goods and services . they should therefore have the power to make test purchases and to purchase goods or services under a cover identity , ### competent authorities should be able to verify compliance with union laws that protect consumers ' interests and to obtain evidence of infringements before , during or after the purchase of goods and services . they should therefore have the power to make test purchases and , where the evidence cannot be obtained by other means , to purchase goods or services under a cover identity ,


### in the digital environment in particular , the competent authorities should be able to stop infringements quickly and effectively , notably where the trader selling goods or services conceals its identity or relocates within the union or to a third country to avoid enforcement . in cases where there is a risk of serious and irreparable harm to consumers , the competent authorities should to be able to adopt interim measures to prevent such harm or reduce it , including , where necessary , the suspension of a website , domain or a similar digital site , service or account . furthermore , the competent authorities should have the power to take down or have a third party service provider take down a website , domain or a similar digital site , service or account , ### in the digital environment in particular , the competent authorities should be able to stop infringements quickly and effectively , notably where the trader selling goods or services conceals his identity or relocates within the union or to a third country to avoid enforcement . in cases where there is a risk of serious and irreparable harm to consumers , the competent authorities should to be able to adopt interim measures , where there are no other means available to prevent or mitigate such harm , including , where necessary , the suspension of a website , service or account , or putting a fully qualified domain name on hold for a specific period of time . furthermore , the competent authorities should have the power to close down or have a third party service provider close down a website , service or account or a part of it , delete a fully qualified domain name and allow the competent authority concerned to register it ,


### in order to ensure that traders are sufficiently deterred from committing or repeating infringements and that they will not profit from those infringements , the rules on penalties which have been adopted by member states in accordance with the requirements of union laws that protect consumers’ interests should also be applied to intra - union infringements and widespread infringements . for those same reasons , consumers should be entitled to redress for harm caused by such infringements . ### in order to ensure that traders are sufficiently deterred from committing or repeating infringements and that they will not profit from such infringements , the rules on sanctions which have been adopted by member states in accordance with the requirements of union laws that protect consumers’ interests should also be applied to infringements . for those same reasons , consumers should be entitled to redress for harm caused by such infringements .


### the commission must be better able to coordinate and monitor the functioning of the mutual assistance mechanism , issue guidance , make recommendations and issue opinions to the member states when problems arise . the commission also must be better able to effectively and quickly assist competent authorities to resolve disputes over the interpretation of their obligations of the competent authorities stemming from the mutual assistance mechanism , ### the commission should be better able to coordinate and monitor the functioning of the mutual assistance mechanism , issue guidance , make recommendations and issue opinions to the member states when problems arise . the commission should also be better able to effectively and quickly assist competent authorities to resolve disputes over the interpretation of their obligations stemming from the mutual assistance mechanism ,


### harmonised rules setting out the procedure for the coordination of the surveillance , investigation and enforcement of widespread infringements should be provided . coordinated actions against widespread infringements should ensure that competent authorities may choose the most appropriate and efficient tools to stop widespread infringements and to ensure consumer compensation , ### harmonised rules should be laid down setting out the procedure for the coordination of the investigation of widespread infringements and widespread infringements with union dimension and enforcement of the rules governing such infringements . coordinated actions against widespread infringements and widespread infringements with union dimension should ensure that competent authorities may choose the most appropriate and efficient tools to stop widespread infringements and widespread infringements with union dimension and to ensure consumer compensation ,


### coordinated screening of online e - commerce websites are another form of enforcement coordination that has proven to be an effective tool against infringements that should be retained and strengthened in the future , ### coordinated screening of online e - commerce websites is another form of enforcement coordination that has proven to be an effective tool against infringements which should be retained and strengthened in the future , including by extending its application to offline sectors ,


### widespread infringements with a union dimension may cause large scale harm to a majority of consumers in the union . they therefore require a specific union - level coordination procedure with the commission as the mandatory coordinator . to ensure that the procedure is launched in a timely , coherent and effective manner and that the conditions are verified in a uniform manner , the commission should be in charge of verifying whether the conditions for the launch of the procedure are fulfilled . evidence and information collected during the common action should be used seamlessly in national proceedings when required , ### in the case of widespread infringements with a union dimension that may cause harm to consumers ' collective interests in a majority of member states , the commission should launch and coordinate a union - level coordination procedure . to ensure procedural coherence , the commission should be in charge of verifying whether the conditions for the launch of the procedure are fulfilled . evidence and information collected during the coordinated action should be used in national proceedings when required ,


### if a trader responsible for the widespread infringement or the widespread infringement with a union dimension fails to cease the infringement voluntarily , the competent authorities of the member states concerned should designate one competent authority in a member state to take the enforcement action adapted to preserve the rights of consumers residing in the other member states concerned by the infringement . that competent authority should be designated , taking into account its capacity to take effective action against the trader , for instance where the trader is established in the member state of that authority . the designated competent authority should act as if the consumers of the other member states were its own consumers . where necessary , to avoid extraterritorial application of the law , several or all the member states concerned by the infringement should be allowed to adopt enforcement measures at the same time to protect their own consumers or consumers residing in other member states . this may be needed , for instance , to stop infringements of a similar nature by subsidiaries of a company , established in more than one member state , which affect the consumers of those member states only , without an apparent cross - border element , ### if a trader responsible for a widespread infringement or a widespread infringement with a union dimension fails to cease that infringement voluntarily , the competent authorities of the member states concerned should designate one competent authority in a member state to take the enforcement action adapted to preserve the rights of consumers residing in the other member states concerned by the infringement . the decision concerning the competent authority to be designated should take into account all relevant aspects for effective enforcement , such as its capacity to take effective action against the trader . the designated competent authority should act as if the consumers in the other member states were its own consumers . where necessary , several or all the member states concerned by the infringement should adopt simultaneous enforcement measures to protect their own consumers or consumers residing in other member states . this may be needed , for instance , to stop infringements of a similar nature by subsidiaries of a company established in more than one member state which affect the consumers in those member states only , without an apparent cross - border element ,


### infringements which are widespread throughout the union should be effectively and efficiently resolved . to this end , enforcement prioritisation and planning at the member state level should be coordinated and the available resources of competent authorities should be pooled . a system of biennial rolling enforcement plans should be put in place to achieve this , ### infringements which are widespread throughout the union should be effectively and efficiently resolved . to that end , enforcement prioritisation and planning at the member state level should be coordinated and the available resources of competent authorities should be pooled . a system of biannual enforcement plans should be put in place to achieve this ,


### data related to consumer complaints may help policymakers at a national and union level to assess the functioning of consumer markets and detect infringements . with a view to facilitating the exchange of such data at a union level , the commission has adopted a recommendation on the use of a harmonised methodology for classifying and reporting consumer complaints and enquiries59 . that recommendation should be implemented to fully support enforcement cooperation and facilitate the detection of intra - union infringements and widespread infringements , __________________ 59 commission recommendation on the use of harmonised methodology for classifying consumer complaints and enquiries . ### data related to consumer complaints may help policymakers at national and union level to assess the functioning of consumer markets and to detect infringements . the exchange of such data at union level and coordination between the member states and the commission of activities contributing to surveillance and enforcement should be promoted ,


### enforcement challenges that go beyond the frontiers of the union , and the interests of union consumers should be protected from rogue traders based in third countries . hence , international agreements with third countries regarding mutual assistance in the enforcement of legislation that protects consumers ' interests should be negotiated . those international agreements should include the subject matter laid down in this regulation and should be negotiated at union level in order to ensure the optimum protection of union consumers and smooth cooperation with third countries , ### enforcement challenges go beyond the frontiers of the union . the interests of european consumers should be protected against rogue traders based in third countries . international agreements with third countries regarding mutual assistance in the enforcement of legislation that protects consumers ' interests should be negotiated . those international agreements should include the subject matter laid down in this regulation and should be negotiated at union level in order to ensure the optimum protection of union consumers and smooth cooperation with third countries ,


### in order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation and exercise of the minimum powers of competent authorities , set time limits and set out other details of procedures to address intra - union infringements , widespread infringements and details of the surveillance mechanism and administrative cooperation among competent authorities , implementing powers should be conferred on the commission . those powers should be exercised in accordance with regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council60 , __________________ 60 regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council of 16 february 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by member states of the commission ' s exercise of implementing powers . ### in order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this regulation , implementing powers should be conferred on the commission , to lay down the standard forms and steps of the procedure under the mutual assistance mechanism ; set time limits and standard forms for notifications and other exchanges of information and enforcement requests for coordinated actions in relation to widespread infringements and widespread infringements with a union dimension ; set out the details of the procedure for sweeps ; lay down standard forms for submitting an alert via the database ; lay down the details of the designation and participation of consumer organisations and associations and trader organisations in the alert mechanism and the means of notification of any follow - up actions taken in relation to external alerts , or the lack of any action ; and lay down standard electronic forms and templates available in the database . those powers should be exercised in accordance with regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council60 , __________________ 60 regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council of 16 february 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by member states of the commission ' s exercise of implementing powers .


### this regulation is without prejudice to penalties laid down in sectoral union legislation and union consumer legislation and applied to national infringements . the competent authorities should , as appropriate , apply the provisions of national law implementing those provisions , taking into account the actual scale and scope of the infringement and the harm caused by the infringement to consumers in other member states , ### this regulation is without prejudice to sanctions laid down in sectoral union legislation and union consumer legislation and applied to national infringements . the competent authorities should , as appropriate , apply the provisions of national law implementing those provisions , taking into account the actual scale and scope of the infringement concerned and the harm caused by the infringement to consumers in other member states ,


### this regulation respects fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised in particular by the charter of fundamental rights of the european union67 . accordingly this regulation should be interpreted and applied with respect to those rights and principles . when exercising the minimum powers set out in this regulation , the competent authorities should strike an appropriate balance between the interests protected by fundamental rights such as a high level of consumer protection , the freedom to conduct business and freedom of information . __________________ 67 oj c 364 , 18 . 12 . 2000 , p . 1 . ### this regulation respects fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised in particular by the charter of fundamental rights of the european union67 . accordingly , this regulation should be interpreted and applied with respect to those rights and principles . when exercising the powers set out in this regulation , the competent authorities should strike an appropriate balance between the interests protected by fundamental rights , such as a high level of consumer protection , the freedom to conduct business and freedom of information . the rights of defence of traders should be guaranteed throughout the procedures laid down in this regulation , __________________ 67 oj c 364 , 18 . 12 . 2000 , p . 1 .


### this regulation lays down the conditions under which the competent authorities in the member states designated as responsible for the enforcement of the laws that protect consumers ' interests cooperate with each other and with the commission in order to ensure compliance with those laws and the smooth functioning of the internal market and in order to enhance the protection of consumers ' economic interests . ### this regulation lays down the conditions under which the competent authorities in the member states designated as responsible for the enforcement of union laws that protect consumers ' interests cooperate with each other and with the commission in order to ensure compliance with those laws and the smooth functioning of the internal market and in order to enhance the protection of consumers ' economic interests .


### this regulation applies to intra - union infringements and widespread infringements defined in points and of article 3 . ### this regulation applies to intra - union infringements , widespread infringements and widespread infringements with a union dimension as respectively defined in points , and of article 3 , even where those infringements have ceased before an enforcement procedure started or could be completed .


### this regulation applies to intra - union infringements and widespread infringements defined in points and of article 3 . ### this regulation applies to widespread intra - union infringements and widespread infringements defined in points and of article 3 .


### ' laws that protect consumers ' interests ' means the directives as transposed into the internal legal order of the member states and the regulations listed in the annex ; ### ' union laws that protect consumers ' interests ' means the directives as transposed into the internal legal order of the member states and the regulations listed in the annex hereto ;


### ‘ intra - union infringement’ means any ongoing or ceased act or omission contrary to the laws that protect consumers ' interests that harmed , harms , or is likely to harm the collective interests of consumers residing in a member state other than the member state where the act or omission originated or took place , where the trader responsible for the act or omission is established or where evidence or assets of the trader pertaining to the act or omission are to be found ; ### ‘ intra - union infringement’ means any act or omission contrary to union laws that protect consumers ' interests that harmed , harms , or is likely to harm the collective interests of consumers residing in a member state other than the member state where the act or omission originated or took place , or where the trader responsible for the act or omission is established , or where evidence or assets of the trader pertaining to the act or omission are to be found ;


### any act or omission contrary to the laws that protect consumers ' interests that harmed , harms , or is likely to harm the collective interests of consumers residing in at least two member states other than the member state where the act or omission originated or took place , or where the trader responsible for the act or omission is established , or where evidence or assets pertaining to the act or omission are to be found ; irrespective of whether the act or omission is ongoing or has ceased ; or ### any act or omission contrary to union laws that protect consumers ' interests that harmed , harms , or is likely to harm the collective interests of consumers residing in at least two member states other than the member state where the act or omission originated or took place , or where the trader responsible for the act or omission is established , or where evidence or assets pertaining to the act or omission are to be found ; irrespective of whether the act or omission is ongoing or has ceased ; or


### any acts or omissions contrary to the laws that protect consumers interests that have common features , such as the same unlawful practice , the same interest being infringed or that are occurring concurrently , in at least two member states ; ### any acts or omissions contrary to union laws that protect consumers interests that harmed , harm , or are likely to harm consumers ' collective interests and that have common features , such as the same unlawful practice or the same interest being infringed , or that are occurring concurrently , in at least two member states ;


### ' harm to collective interests of consumers ' means actual or potential harm to the interests of a number of consumers that are concerned by intra - union infringements or widespread infringements ; and that shall be presumed in particular where the infringement potentially ; or actually harmed , harms or is likely to harm a significant number of consumers in a similar situation . ### ' harm to collective interests of consumers ' means actual or potential harm to the interests of a number of consumers that are concerned by intra - union infringements , widespread infringements or widespread infringements with a union dimension ;


### limitation periods for infringements ### limitation period for the imposition of sanctions , for ordering the compensation of consumers and for ordering the restitution of profits obtained as a result of infringements


### each member state shall designate as the competent authorities public authorities established either at national , regional or local level with specific responsibilities to enforce the laws that protect consumers ' interests . ### each member state shall designate the competent authorities and a single liaison office responsible for the application of this regulation .


### the single liaison office shall be responsible for coordinating investigation and enforcement activities related to intra - union infringements and widespread infringements by the competent authorities , other public authorities as set out in article 6 , designated bodies as set out in article 13 and entities participating in the alert mechanism as set out in article 34 . ### the single liaison office shall be responsible for coordinating , as between the competent authorities , other public authorities as referred to in article 6 , designated bodies as referred to in article 13 and entities participating in the alert mechanism as referred to in article 35 , investigation and enforcement activities relating to intra - union infringements , widespread infringements and widespread infringements with a union dimension .


### the commission shall maintain and update a publicly available list of single liaison offices , competent authorities , designated bodies and entities on its website . ### the commission shall maintain and update on its website the information referred to in paragraph 1 and make it publicly available .


### each competent authority shall have the investigation and enforcement powers necessary for the application of this regulation and shall exercise them in accordance with this regulation and national law . ### member states shall entrust competent authorities with the investigation and enforcement powers necessary for the application of this regulation . the competent authorities shall exercise those powers in accordance with this regulation and with national law .


### each competent authority shall have at least the following powers and exercise them under the conditions set out in article 9 , to : ### in order to carry out the duties assigned to them by this regulation , competent authorities in each member state shall have at least the following powers and shall exercise them under the conditions set out in article 9 , to :


### require the supply by any natural or legal person , including banks , internet service providers , domain registries and registrars and hosting service providers of any relevant information , data or document in any format or form and irrespective of the medium on which or the place where they are stored , for the purpose of among others identifying and following financial and data flows , or of ascertaining the identity of persons involved in financial and data flows , bank account information and ownership of websites ; ### require the supply by any natural or legal person , including banks , internet service providers , domain registries and registrars and hosting service providers of any relevant information , data or document in any format or form and irrespective of the medium on which or the place where they are stored , for the purpose of identifying and following financial and data flows , or of ascertaining the identity of persons involved in financial and data flows , bank account information and ownership of websites when the information , data or document in question is related to the subject matter of an investigation ;


### carry out the necessary on - site inspections , including in particular the power to enter any premises , land or means of transport or to request other authorities to do so in order to examine , seize , take or obtain copies of information , data or documents , irrespective of the medium on which they are stored ; to seal any premises or information , data or documents for a necessary period and to the extent necessary for the inspection ; to request any representative or member of the staff of the trader concerned to give explanations on facts , information or documents relating to the subject matter of the inspection and to record the answers ; ### carry out the necessary on - site inspections , including the power to enter any premises , land or means of transport that the trader uses for purposes related to his trade , business , craft or profession , or to request other authorities to do so in order to examine , seize , take or obtain copies of information , data or documents , irrespective of the medium on which they are stored ; to seal any premises or information , data or documents for a necessary period and to the extent necessary for the inspection ;


### purchase goods or services as test purchases in order to detect infringements under this regulation and obtain evidence ; ### purchase goods or services as test purchases , including under a cover identity , in order to detect infringements under this regulation and obtain evidence ;


### start investigations or procedures to bring about the cessation or prohibition of intra - union infringements or widespread infringements of its own initiative and where appropriate to publish information about this ; ### start investigations or procedures to bring about the cessation of intra - union infringements , widespread infringements or widespread infringements with a union dimension of its own initiative and to publish information about this ;