### in order to facilitate the introduction of natural gas vehicles the current total hydrocarbons emission limit should be increased and the effect of methane emissions should be taken into account and expressed as a co2 equivalent for regulatory and consumer information purposes . ### in order to facilitate the introduction of natural gas vehicles , the current total hydrocarbons emission limit should be reviewed on the basis of a clear and detailed impact analysis and the effect of methane emissions should be considered to be taken into account and expressed as a co2 equivalent for regulatory and consumer information purposes .


### in order to facilitate the introduction of natural gas vehicles the current total hydrocarbons emission limit should be increased and the effect of methane emissions should be taken into account and expressed as a co2 equivalent for regulatory and consumer information purposes . ### in order to facilitate the introduction of natural gas vehicles the current total hydrocarbons emission limit should be reviewed based on a clear and detailed impact assessment and the effect of methane emissions should be considered to be taken into account and expressed as a co2 equivalent .


### the commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with article 14a to set out , in addition to the existing limit value for emissions of total nox , a limit value for emissions of no2 for vehicles approved as complying with the euro 6 emission limits set out in table 2 of annex i . the limit for emissions of no2 shall be set on the basis of an impact assessment , shall take into consideration the technical feasibility and shall reflect the air quality objectives set out in directive no 2008 / 50 of the european parliament and of the council* . ### the commission shall propose legislative measures concerning a limit value for emissions of no2 , in addition to the existing limit value for emissions of total nox for vehicles approved as complying with the euro 6 emission limits set out in table 2 of annex i . the limit for emissions of no2 shall be set on the basis of a clear and detailed impact assessment , and shall take into consideration the technical feasibility and shall further reflect the air quality objectives set out in directive no 2008 / 50 of the european parliament and of the council* .


### in order to achieve eu air quality objectives and to ensure a continuous effort to reduce vehicle emissions , the power to adopt delegated acts in accordance with article 290 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union should be delegated to the commission in respect of the detailed rules on the application of regulation no 715 / 2007 to vehicles of categories m1 , m2 , n1 and n2 with a reference mass exceeding 2 610 kg but with a maximum vehicle mass not exceeding 5 000 kg , the specific procedures , tests and requirements for type approval , the requirements for the implementation of the prohibition on the use of defeat devices that reduce the effectiveness of emission control systems , the measures necessary for the implementation of the obligation of a manufacturer to provide unrestricted and standardised access to vehicle repair and maintenance information , the replacement of the information on the mass of co2 emissions in the certificate of conformity with information on total mass of co2 emissions equivalents , the increase or removal of the limit value of total hydrocarbons emissions for positive ignition vehicles , the amendment of regulation no 715 / 2007 for the purposes of recalibrating the particulate mass based limit values and introducing particle number based limit values that would correlate broadly with the petrol and diesel mass limit values , the adoption of a revised measurement procedure for particulates and a particle number limit value , a limit value for emissions of no2 and limits for tailpipe emissions at cold temperatures for vehicles approved as complying with the euro 6 emission limits . the commission , when preparing and drawing up delegated acts , should ensure a simultaneous , timely and appropriate transmission of relevant documents to the european parliament and to the council . ### in order to achieve eu air quality objectives , as set out by the air quality standards and by directive 2008 / 50 / ec of the european parliament and of the council5c , and to ensure a continuous effort to reduce vehicle emissions , the power to adopt delegated acts in accordance with article 290 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union should be delegated to the commission in respect of the detailed rules on the application of regulation no 715 / 2007 to vehicles of categories m1 , m2 , n1 and n2 with a reference mass exceeding 2 610 kg but with a maximum vehicle mass not exceeding 5 000 kg , the specific procedures , tests and requirements for type approval , the requirements for the implementation of the prohibition on the use of defeat devices that reduce the effectiveness of emission control systems , the measures necessary for the implementation of the obligation of a manufacturer to provide unrestricted and standardised access to vehicle repair and maintenance information , the amendment of regulation no 715 / 2007 for the purposes of recalibrating the particulate mass based limit values and introducing particle number based limit values that would correlate broadly with the petrol and diesel mass limit values . the commission , when preparing and drawing up delegated acts , should ensure a simultaneous , timely and appropriate transmission of relevant documents to the european parliament and to the council . __________________ 5c directive 2008 / 50 / ec of the european parliament and of the council of 21 may 2008 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for europe .


### in order to achieve eu air quality objectives and to ensure a continuous effort to reduce vehicle emissions , the power to adopt delegated acts in accordance with article 290 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union should be delegated to the commission in respect of the detailed rules on the application of regulation no 715 / 2007 to vehicles of categories m1 , m2 , n1 and n2 with a reference mass exceeding 2 610 kg but with a maximum vehicle mass not exceeding 5 000 kg , the specific procedures , tests and requirements for type approval , the requirements for the implementation of the prohibition on the use of defeat devices that reduce the effectiveness of emission control systems , the measures necessary for the implementation of the obligation of a manufacturer to provide unrestricted and standardised access to vehicle repair and maintenance information , the replacement of the information on the mass of co2 emissions in the certificate of conformity with information on total mass of co2 emissions equivalents , the increase or removal of the limit value of total hydrocarbons emissions for positive ignition vehicles , the amendment of regulation no 715 / 2007 for the purposes of recalibrating the particulate mass based limit values and introducing particle number based limit values that would correlate broadly with the petrol and diesel mass limit values , the adoption of a revised measurement procedure for particulates and a particle number limit value , a limit value for emissions of no2 and limits for tailpipe emissions at cold temperatures for vehicles approved as complying with the euro 6 emission limits . the commission , when preparing and drawing up delegated acts , should ensure a simultaneous , timely and appropriate transmission of relevant documents to the european parliament and to the council . ### in order to achieve eu air quality objectives and to ensure a continuous effort to reduce vehicle emissions , the power to adopt delegated acts in accordance with article 290 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union should be delegated to the commission in respect of the detailed rules on the application of regulation no 715 / 2007 to vehicles of categories m1 , m2 , n1 and n2 with a reference mass exceeding 2 610 kg but with a maximum vehicle mass not exceeding 5 000 kg , the specific procedures , tests and requirements for type approval , the requirements for the implementation of the prohibition on the use of defeat devices that reduce the effectiveness of emission control systems , the measures necessary for the implementation of the obligation of a manufacturer to provide unrestricted and standardised access to vehicle repair and maintenance information , the replacement of the information on the mass of co2 emissions in the certificate of conformity with information on total mass of co2 emissions equivalents , the increase or removal of the limit value of total hydrocarbons emissions for positive ignition vehicles , the amendment of regulation no 715 / 2007 for the purposes of recalibrating the particulate mass based limit values and introducing particle number based limit values that would correlate broadly with the petrol and diesel mass limit values , the adoption of a revised measurement procedure for particulates and a particle number limit value , a limit value for emissions of no2 and matching limits for tailpipe emissions at cold temperatures for vehicles approved as complying with the euro 6 emission limits . the commission , when preparing and drawing up delegated acts , should ensure an overall simultaneous , timely and appropriate transmission of relevant documents to the european parliament and to the council .


### in order to achieve eu air quality objectives and to ensure a continuous effort to reduce vehicle emissions , the power to adopt delegated acts in accordance with article 290 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union should be delegated to the commission in respect of the detailed rules on the application of regulation no 715 / 2007 to vehicles of categories m1 , m2 , n1 and n2 with a reference mass exceeding 2 610 kg but with a maximum vehicle mass not exceeding 5 000 kg , the specific procedures , tests and requirements for type approval , the requirements for the implementation of the prohibition on the use of defeat devices that reduce the effectiveness of emission control systems , the measures necessary for the implementation of the obligation of a manufacturer to provide unrestricted and standardised access to vehicle repair and maintenance information , the replacement of the information on the mass of co2 emissions in the certificate of conformity with information on total mass of co2 emissions equivalents , the increase or removal of the limit value of total hydrocarbons emissions for positive ignition vehicles , the amendment of regulation no 715 / 2007 for the purposes of recalibrating the particulate mass based limit values and introducing particle number based limit values that would correlate broadly with the petrol and diesel mass limit values , the adoption of a revised measurement procedure for particulates and a particle number limit value , a limit value for emissions of no2 and limits for tailpipe emissions at cold temperatures for vehicles approved as complying with the euro 6 emission limits . the commission , when preparing and drawing up delegated acts , should ensure a simultaneous , timely and appropriate transmission of relevant documents to the european parliament and to the council . ### in order to achieve union air quality objectives and to ensure a continuous effort to reduce vehicle emissions , the power to adopt acts in accordance with article 290 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union should be delegated to the commission in respect of the detailed rules on the application of regulation no 715 / 2007 to vehicles of categories m1 , m2 , n1 and n2 with a reference mass exceeding 2 610 kg but with a maximum vehicle mass not exceeding 7 500 kg , the specific procedures , tests and requirements for type approval , the requirements for the implementation of the prohibition on the use of defeat devices that reduce the effectiveness of emission control systems , the measures necessary for the implementation of the obligation of a manufacturer to provide unrestricted and standardised access to vehicle repair and maintenance information , including remote diagnostic support , the review of the information on the mass of co2 emissions in the certificate of conformity with information on total mass of co2 emissions equivalents , the increase of the limit value of total hydrocarbons emissions for positive ignition vehicles , the amendment of regulation no 715 / 2007 for the purposes of recalibrating the particulate mass based limit values and introducing particle number based limit values that would correlate broadly with the petrol and diesel mass limit values , the adoption of a revised measurement procedure for particulates , including nano - particulates , and a particle number limit value , a limit value for emissions of no2 and limits for tailpipe emissions at cold temperatures for vehicles approved as complying with the euro 6 emission limits . it is of particular importance that the commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work , including at expert level . the commission , when preparing and drawing up delegated acts , should ensure a simultaneous , timely and appropriate transmission of relevant documents to the european parliament and to the council .


### the power to adopt delegated acts referred to in the second subparagraph of article 2 , article 5 , article 8 and in article 14 to shall be conferred on the commission for an indeterminate period of time from [ … ] [ publications office , please insert the exact date of entry into force ] . ### the power to adopt delegated acts referred to in the second subparagraph of article 2 , article 5 , article 8 and in article 14 and shall be conferred on the commission for five years from [ … ] [ publications office , please insert the exact date of entry into force ] .


### in some instances , given the current state of technical development it may still be necessary for users of a procedure to appear in person before a competent authority as part of the online procedure , in particular in the case of requesting or renewing passports or identity cards containing biometric data . any such exception should be limited to situations where no digital technology exists to achieve the purpose of the procedure . ### in some instances , the user might be required to submit evidence to prove facts that cannot be established by online means , such as medical certificates and proof of the roadworthiness of motor vehicles . as long as the evidence to prove such facts can be submitted in electronic format , this should not constitute an exception to the principle that a procedure should be offered fully online . in other instances , given the current state of technical development , it may still be necessary for users of an online procedure to appear in person before a competent authority as part of the online procedure , such as in the case of requesting or renewing passports or identity cards containing biometric data . any such exception should be limited to what is proportionate , non - discriminatory , strictly necessary and objectively justified by an overriding reason of public interest relevant to the particular procedure and limited to situations where no digital technology exists to achieve the purpose of completing the procedure online . an overriding reason of public interest should be considered strictly necessary and objectively justified for the member states if it serves the implementation of national measures , for instance in the interest of public policy , public security , public health and combatting fraud . in those exceptional circumstances , member states should limit the physical presence of the user to what is strictly necessary , objectively justified and proportionate . any such exceptions should be notified to the commission and should be discussed and reviewed regularly in the gateway coordination group together with good national practices and technical developments that would facilitate the further digitalisation of procedures .


### member states and the commission shall ensure that users have easy , online access to assistance or problem solving services referred to in article 2 . ### member states and the commission shall ensure that users have easy , online access to assistance or problem solving services referred to in article 2with no discrimination between individual citizens or undertakings .


### in order to further facilitate the use of online procedures , this regulation should , in line with the “once - only” principle , provide the basis for the exchange of evidence directly between the competent authorities concerned from different member states , at the request of citizens and businesses . the “once - only principle means that citizens and businesses should not have to supply the same information to public authorities more than once for the cross - border exchange of evidence . ### in order to further facilitate the use of online procedures , this regulation should , in line with the “once - only” principle , provide the basis for establishing a secure technical system to exchange evidence directly between the competent authorities concerned from different member states , at the explicit request of citizens and businesses . the “once - only principle means that citizens and businesses should not have to supply the same information to public authorities more than once for the cross - border exchange of evidence .


### in order to further facilitate the use of online procedures , this regulation should , in line with the “once - only” principle , provide the basis for the exchange of evidence directly between the competent authorities concerned from different member states , at the request of citizens and businesses . the “once - only principle means that citizens and businesses should not have to supply the same information to public authorities more than once for the cross - border exchange of evidence . ### in order to further facilitate the use of online procedures , this regulation should , in line with the “once - only” principle , provide the basis for the exchange of evidence directly between the competent authorities concerned from different member states , including upon the request of citizens and businesses . the “once - only ' principle means that citizens and businesses should not have to supply the same information to public authorities more than once for the cross - border exchange of evidence and this principle implies that competent authorities should share evidence internally . as citizens and businesses in most cases would not be aware that the cross - border exchange of evidence can be enabled upon request , it should be explicitly prohibited for competent authorities to request evidence that has already been collected and stored in a database . the ' once only ' principle should be implemented in full compliance with regulation 2016 / 679 , in particular on the basis of the user ' s consent , and with the principles of privacy and security by design . the user should in addition be able to access at any time the evidence as well as the information about the time , origin and purpose of a request to access such evidence .


### in some instances , given the current state of technical development it may still be necessary for users of a procedure to appear in person before a competent authority as part of the online procedure , in particular in the case of requesting or renewing passports or identity cards containing biometric data . any such exception should be limited to situations where no digital technology exists to achieve the purpose of the procedure . ### in some instances , the user may be required to submit evidence to prove facts that cannot be established by online means , such as medical certificates and proof of the roadworthiness of motor vehicles . as long as the evidence to prove such facts can be submitted in electronic format , this should not constitute an exception to the principle that a procedure should be offered fully online . in other instances , given the current state of technical development , it may still be necessary for users of an online procedure to appear in person before a competent authority as part of the online procedure , such as in the case of requesting or renewing passports or identity cards containing biometric data . any such exception should be limited to situations where no appropriate technology exists .


### in some instances , given the current state of technical development it may still be necessary for users of a procedure to appear in person before a competent authority as part of the online procedure , in particular in the case of requesting or renewing passports or identity cards containing biometric data . any such exception should be limited to situations where no digital technology exists to achieve the purpose of the procedure . ### in some instances , the user may be required to submit evidence to prove facts that cannot be established by online means , such as medical certificates and proof of the roadworthiness of motor vehicles . as long as the evidence to prove such facts can be submitted in electronic format , this should not constitute an exception to the principle that a procedure should be offered fully online . in other instances , given the current state of technical development , it may still be necessary for users of an online procedure to appear in person before a competent authority as part of the online procedure , such as in the case of requesting or renewing passports or identity cards containing biometric data . any such exception should not be discriminatory and should be limited to situations where no digital technology exists to achieve the purpose of completing the procedure online and where it is absolutely necessary for the member states to implement strict , indispensable , objectively justified and proportionate measures . this may , for example , be in the interest of public policy , general security , public health and the fight against fraud . in such exceptional cases , member states should limit the physical presence of the user to what is strictly necessary . any such exceptions should be notified to the commission and should be discussed regularly and carefully reviewed for an improvement in the situation in the gateway coordination group together with good national practices and technical developments that would facilitate the further digitalisation of procedures .


### such a system should be available in addition to other systems providing mechanisms for cooperation between authorities , such as imi or [ e - services card ] and should not affect other systems , including the system foreseen in article 4 of regulation no 987 / 2009 , the european single procurement document under directive 2014 / 24 of the european parliament and of the council33 , the interconnection of national registers , the interconnection of central , commercial and company registers under directive 2009 / 101 / ec of the european parliament and of the council34 and of insolvency registers under regulation 2015 / 848 of the european parliament and of the council35 . _________________ 33 directive 2014 / 24 / eu of the european parliament and of the council of 26 february 2014 on public procurement and repealing directive 2004 / 18 / ec . 34 directive 2009 / 101 / ec of the european parliament and of the council of 16 september 2009 on coordination of safeguards which , for the protection of the interests of members and third parties , are required by member states of companies within the meaning of the second paragraph of article 48 of the treaty , with a view to making such safeguards equivalent . 35 regulation 2015 / 848 of the european parliament and of the council of 20 may 2015 on insolvency proceedings . ### such a system should be available in addition to other systems providing mechanisms for cooperation between authorities , such as imi or [ e - services card ] and should not affect other systems , including the system foreseen in article 4 of regulation no 987 / 2009 , the european single procurement document under directive 2014 / 24 of the european parliament and of the council33 , the electronic exchange of social security information , the interconnection of national registers , the interconnection of central , commercial and company registers under directive 2009 / 101 / ec of the european parliament and of the council34 and of insolvency registers under regulation 2015 / 848 of the european parliament and of the council35 . _________________ 33 directive 2014 / 24 / eu of the european parliament and of the council of 26 february 2014 on public procurement and repealing directive 2004 / 18 / ec . 34 directive 2009 / 101 / ec of the european parliament and of the council of 16 september 2009 on coordination of safeguards which , for the protection of the interests of members and third parties , are required by member states of companies within the meaning of the second paragraph of article 48 of the treaty , with a view to making such safeguards equivalent . 35 regulation 2015 / 848 of the european parliament and of the council of 20 may 2015 on insolvency proceedings .


### the competent authorities responsible for online procedures referred to in paragraph 1 shall , upon an explicit request of the user , request evidence directly from competent authorities issuing evidence in other member states through the technical system . the issuing authorities shall , subject to paragraph 2 , make such evidence available through the same system . ### the competent authorities responsible for online procedures referred to in paragraph 1 shall , upon an explicit request of the user , request evidence directly from competent authorities issuing evidence in other member states through the technical system . the issuing authorities shall , in accordance with paragraph 2 , make such evidence available through the same system . where the consent of the user is necessary , article 7 of regulation 2016 / 679 and regulation no 45 / 2001 shall apply . if the user is not the data subject , the online procedure shall not affect his or her rights under regulation 2016 / 679 .


### in order to set in place conditions supporting the re - use of documents which is associated with important socio - economic benefits having a particular high value for economy and society , the power to adopt acts in accordance with article 290 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union should be delegated to the commission in respect of the adoption of a list of high - value datasets among the documents to which this directive applies , along with the modalities of their publication and re - use . it is of particular importance that the commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work , including at expert level , and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the interinstitutional agreement of 13 april 2016 on better law - making . in particular , to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts , the european parliament and the council receive all documents at the same time as member states ' experts , and their experts systematically have access to meetings of commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts . ### in order to set in place conditions supporting the re - use of documents which is associated with important socio - economic benefits having a particular high value for economy and society , the power to adopt implementing acts in accordance with article 291 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union should be delegated to the commission in respect of the adoption of a list of high - value datasets among the documents to which this directive applies , along with the modalities of their publication and re - use . it is of particular importance that the commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work , including at expert level , and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the interinstitutional agreement of 13 april 2016 on better law - making . in particular , to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts , the european parliament and the council receive all documents at the same time as member states ' experts , and their experts systematically have access to meetings of commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts .


### in order to set in place conditions supporting the re - use of documents which is associated with important socio - economic benefits having a particular high value for economy and society , the power to adopt acts in accordance with article 290 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union should be delegated to the commission in respect of the adoption of a list of high - value datasets among the documents to which this directive applies , along with the modalities of their publication and re - use . it is of particular importance that the commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work , including at expert level , and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the interinstitutional agreement of 13 april 2016 on better law - making . in particular , to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts , the european parliament and the council receive all documents at the same time as member states ' experts , and their experts systematically have access to meetings of commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts . ### in order to set in place conditions supporting the re - use of documents which is associated with important socio - economic benefits having a particular high value for economy and society , the power to adopt acts in accordance with article 291 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union should be delegated to the commission in respect of the adoption of a list of high - value datasets among the documents to which this directive applies . it is of particular importance that the commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work , including at expert level , and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the interinstitutional agreement of 13 april 2016 on better law - making . when preparing implementing acts , rights to participation in decision - making must be respected and the financial and human resources needed for the effective exercise of such rights must be provided . the european social partners must be involved in the preparatory process .


### the selection of datasets for the list referred to in paragraph 1 shall be based on the assessment of their potential to generate socio - economic benefits , the number of users and the revenues they may help generate , and their potential for being combined with other datasets . ### the selection of additional categories and high value datasets for the list referred to in paragraph 1 shall be based on the assessment of their potential to generate significant civic or socio - economic benefits , innovation , the number of users , especially small and medium - sized enterprises , the revenues they may help generate , and their potential for being combined with other datasets .


### the re - use of documents shall be open to all potential actors in the market , even if one or more market actors already exploit added - value products based on these documents . contracts or other arrangements between the public sector bodies or public undertakings holding the documents and third parties shall not grant exclusive rights . ### the re - use of documents shall be open to all potential actors in the market , even if one or more market actors already exploit added - value products based on these documents . contracts or other arrangements between the public sector bodies or public undertakings holding the documents and third parties shall not grant exclusive rights where reasonably possible . existing exemptions pursuant to article 11 of directive 2014 / 24 / eu as well as partnerships in the spirit of article 31 of directive 2015 / 24 / eu shall be fully taken into account .


### the power to adopt delegated acts referred to in article 13 shall be conferred on the commission for a period of five years from [ date of entry into force of the directive ] . the commission shall draw up a report in respect of the delegation of power not later than nine months before the end of the five - year period . the delegation of power shall be tacitly extended for periods of an identical duration , unless the european parliament or the council opposes such extension not later than three months before the end of each period . ### the power to adopt implementing acts referred to in article 13 shall be conferred on the commission for a period of five years from [ date of entry into force of the directive ] . the commission shall draw up a report in respect of the delegation of power not later than nine months before the end of the five - year period . the delegation of power shall be tacitly extended for periods of an identical duration , unless the european parliament or the council opposes such extension not later than three months before the end of each period . in preparing implementing acts , rights to participate in decision - making shall be respected and the financial and human resources required for the effective exercise of such rights shall be provided ; the european social partners shall be involved in the preparatory process .


### the re - use of high value datasets , the list of which shall be defined in accordance with article 13 , and of research data referred to in point of article 1 shall be free of charge for the user . ### the re - use of high value datasets , the list of which shall be defined in accordance with article 13 and annex iia , and of research data referred to in point of article 1 shall be free of charge for the user .


### this directive should not contain an obligation to allow the re - use of documents produced by public undertakings . the decision whether or not to authorise re - use should remain with the public undertaking concerned . only after the public undertaking has chosen to make a document available for re - use , should it observe the relevant obligations laid down in chapters iii and iv of this directive , in particular as regards formats , charging , transparency , licences , non - discrimation and prohibition of exclusive arrangements . on the other hand , the public undertaking is not required to comply with the requirements laid down in chapter ii , such as the rules applicable to processing of requests . ### this directive should not contain an absolute obligation to allow the re - use of documents produced by public undertakings . the decision whether or not to authorise re - use should remain with the public undertaking concerned . only after the public undertaking has chosen to make a document available for re - use , should it observe the relevant obligations laid down in chapters iii and iv of this directive , in particular as regards formats , charging , transparency , licences , non - discrimation and prohibition of exclusive arrangements . on the other hand , the public undertaking is not required to comply with the requirements laid down in chapter ii , such as the rules applicable to processing of requests .


### the public sector in the member states collects , produces , reproduces and disseminates a wide range of information in many areas of activity , such as social , economic , geographical , weather , tourist , business , patent and educational information . documents produced by public sector bodies of executive , legislative or judicial nature constitute a vast , diverse and valuable pool of resources that can benefit the knowledge economy . ### the public sector in the member states collects , produces , reproduces and disseminates a wide range of information in many areas of activity , such as social , economic , legal , geographical , weather , tourist , business , patent and education . providing this information in electronic format allows citizens and businesses to find new ways to use them and create new , innovative products and services .


### this directive should not contain an obligation to allow the re - use of documents produced by public undertakings . the decision whether or not to authorise re - use should remain with the public undertaking concerned . only after the public undertaking has chosen to make a document available for re - use , should it observe the relevant obligations laid down in chapters iii and iv of this directive , in particular as regards formats , charging , transparency , licences , non - discrimination and prohibition of exclusive arrangements . on the other hand , the public undertaking is not required to comply with the requirements laid down in chapter ii , such as the rules applicable to processing of requests . ### this directive does not contain an obligation to allow the re - use of documents produced by public undertakings . the decision whether or not to authorise re - use of documents or parts of documents , falling within the scope of this directive should remain with the public undertaking concerned . only after the public undertaking has chosen to make a document available for re - use , should it observe the relevant obligations laid down in chapters iii and iv of this directive , in particular as regards formats , charging , transparency , licences , non - discrimination and prohibition of exclusive arrangements . on the other hand , the public undertaking is not required to comply with the requirements laid down in chapter ii , such as the rules applicable to processing of requests .


### member states shall ensure that the following restructuring plans can become binding on the parties only if they are confirmed by a judicial or administrative authority : ### member states shall ensure that the&#160 ; restructuring plans which affect the interests of dissenting affected parties can become binding on the parties only if they are confirmed by a judicial or administrative authority .


### restructuring should enable enterprises in financial difficulties to continue business in whole or in part , by changing the composition , conditions or structure of assets and liabilities or of their capital structure , including by sales of assets or parts of the business . preventive restructuring frameworks should above all enable the enterprises to restructure at an early stage and to avoid their insolvency . those frameworks should maximise the total value to creditors , owners and the economy as a whole and should prevent unnecessary job losses and losses of knowledge and skills . they should also prevent the build - up of non - performing loans . in the restructuring process the rights of all parties involved should be protected . at the same time , non - viable businesses with no prospect of survival should be liquidated as quickly as possible . ### restructuring should enable enterprises in financial difficulties to continue business in whole or in part , by changing the composition , conditions or structure of assets and liabilities or of their capital structure , including by sales of assets or parts of the business , if those operations , like the liquidation of assets , also contribute to the satisfaction of creditors’ claims . preventive restructuring frameworks should above all enable the enterprises to restructure at an early stage and to avoid their insolvency . those frameworks should even maximise the total value to creditors in comparison with that which they would receive in the event of the liquidation of assets , owners and the economy as a whole and should prevent unnecessary job losses and losses of operations , knowledge and skills . they should also prevent the build - up of non - performing loans . in the restructuring process the rights of all parties involved should be protected , including those of workers . at the same time , non - viable businesses with no prospect of survival should be liquidated as quickly as possible .


### paragraph 2 shall not apply to workers ' outstanding claims except if and to the extent that member states ensure by other means that the payment of such claims is guaranteed at a level of protection at least equivalent to that provided for under the relevant national law transposing directive 2008 / 94 / ec . ### paragraph 2 shall not apply to workers ' outstanding claims .


### this directive shall be without prejudice to the following acts : ### the provisions of the following acts shall prevail over this directive :


### in particular small and medium sized enterprises should benefit from a more coherent approach at union level , since they do not have the necessary resources to cope with high restructuring costs and to take advantage of the more efficient restructuring procedures in some member states . small and medium enterprises , especially when facing financial difficulties , often do not have the resources to hire professional advice , therefore early warning tools should be put in place to alert debtors to the urgency to act . in order to help such enterprises restructure at low cost , model restructuring plans should also be developed nationally and made available online . debtors should be able to use and adapt them to their own needs and to the specificities of their business . ### in particular small and medium sized enterprises should benefit from a more coherent approach at union level , since they do not have the necessary resources to cope with high restructuring costs and to take advantage of the more efficient restructuring procedures in some member states . small and medium enterprises , especially when facing financial difficulties , often do not have the resources to hire professional advice , therefore early warning tools should be put in place to alert debtors to the urgency to act . in order to help such enterprises restructure at low cost , confidential procedures which minimise loss of value , jobs and creditors’ dividends should be possible . model restructuring plans should also be developed nationally and made available online . debtors should be able to use and adapt them to their own needs and to the specificities of their business . it should be possible for the debtor to find ad hoc and special solutions with third parties or creditors , either by reducing debts to all or most of the creditors or by surrendering whatever operations are viable , contributing to the satisfaction of creditors’ claims better than by means of the liquidation of assets , while preserving as many jobs as possible .


### member states may derogate from paragraph 1 where the debtor becomes illiquid and therefore unable to pay his debts as they fall due during the stay period . in that case , member states shall ensure that restructuring procedures are not automatically terminated and that , upon examining the prospects for achieving an agreement on a successful restructuring plan within the period of the stay , a judicial or administrative authority may decide to defer the opening of insolvency procedure and keep in place the benefit of the stay of individual enforcement actions . ### member states may derogate from paragraph 1 where the debtor becomes illiquid and therefore unable to pay his debts as they fall due during the stay period . in that case , member states shall ensure that restructuring procedures are not automatically terminated and that , upon examining the prospects for achieving an agreement on a successful restructuring or economically viable business transfer plan within the period of the stay , a judicial or administrative authority may decide to defer the opening of insolvency procedure and keep in place the benefit of the stay of individual enforcement actions .


### member states shall ensure that adequate and up - to - date information , at least on imminent threats of damage is available to the public in an open data format online , in accordance with annex vi of this directive and with article 7 of directive 2003 / 4 / ec of the european parliament and of the council* . for each incident , the information listed in annex vi of this directive shall be provided as a minimum . ### member states shall ensure that adequate and up - to - date information , at least on imminent threats of damage is available to the public and to the commission in an open data format online , in accordance with annex vi of this directive and with article 7 of directive 2003 / 4 / ec of the european parliament and of the council* . for each incident , the information listed in annex vi of this directive shall be provided as a minimum .


### in order to address the need for implementation and compliance information , amendments of several pieces of environmental legislation should be introduced taking into account the results of the commission report on actions to streamline environmental report45 and its related fitness check46 . __________________ 45 com 312 . 46 swd 230 . ### in order to address the need for implementation and compliance information , amendments of several pieces of legislation related to the environment should be introduced , taking into account the results of the commission report on actions to streamline environmental report45 and its related fitness check46 . __________________ 45 com 312 . 46 swd 230 .


### without prejudice to article 20 , the management authorities of the member states shall , one year before each meeting of the conference of the parties to the convention , communicate to the commission all the information relating to the relevant preceding period required for drawing up the reports referred to in article viii . 7 of the convention and equivalent information on the provisions of this regulation that fall outside the scope of the convention . the information to be communicated and the format for its presentation shall be specified by the commission in accordance with the regulatory procedure referred to in article 18 . ### without prejudice to article 20 , the management authorities of the member states shall , one year before each meeting of the conference of the parties to the convention , communicate to the commission all the information relating to the relevant preceding period required for drawing up the reports referred to in article viii . 7 of the convention and equivalent information on the provisions of this regulation that fall outside the scope of the convention . the format for its presentation shall be specified by the commission in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in article 18 .


### the commission shall , at regular intervals , carry out an evaluation of this directive . the evaluation shall be based , inter alia , on the following elements : ### the commission shall , no later than 1 january 2021 and at least every three years thereafter , carry out an evaluation of this directive . the evaluation shall be made publicly available and be based , inter alia , on the following elements :


### based on the commission report to the council and the european parliament concerning the implementation of directive 2007 / 2 / ec and the refit evaluation52 , it is appropriate , with a view to simplifying the implementation of that directive and reducing administrative burden related to monitoring by member states , to no longer require member states to send to the commission triennial reports , and the commission to present to the european parliament and to the council a summary report , because the reporting fitness check confirmed the limited use of such reports . 53 _________________ 52 com 478 and swd 273 . 53 com 312 . ### based on the commission report to the council and the european parliament concerning the implementation of directive 2007 / 2 / ec and the refit evaluation52 , it is appropriate , with a view to simplifying the implementation of that directive and reducing administrative burden related to monitoring by member states , to no longer require member states to send to the commission triennial reports , and the commission to present to the european parliament and to the council a summary report , because the reporting fitness check confirmed the limited use of such reports . 53 nevertheless , the commission should continue to carry out , at regular intervals , an evaluation of that directive and make it publicly available . _________________ 52 com 478 and swd 273 . 53 com 312 .


### the member states shall ensure that the information from strategic noise maps and summaries of the action plans as referred to in annex vi are sent to the commission within six months of the dates laid down in articles 7 and 8 respectively . for that purpose , member states shall only report the information electronically to the data repository to be established in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in article 13 . in case a member state wants to update information , it shall describe the differences between the updated and original information and the reasons for the update when making the updated information available to the data repository . ### the member states shall ensure that the information from strategic noise maps and summaries of the action plans as referred to in annex vi are sent to the commission within six months of the dates laid down in articles 7 and 8 respectively . for that purpose , member states shall only report the information electronically to a mandatory data repository . in case a member state wants to update information , it shall describe the differences between the updated and original information and the reasons for the update when making the updated information available to the data repository .


### the commission shall , at regular intervals , carry out an evaluation of this directive . the evaluation shall be based , inter alia , on the following elements : ### the commission shall , no later than 1 january 2021 and at least every three years thereafter , carry out an evaluation of this directive and make it publicly available . the evaluation shall be based , inter alia , on the following elements :


### the commission services shall publish a union - wide overview including maps on the basis of the data made available by the member states pursuant to paragraph 1 . ### the commission services shall publish a union - wide overview including maps on the basis of the data made available by the member states pursuant to paragraph 1 and update it regularly , at least on an annual basis .


### proposal for a regulation of the european parliament and of the council on the alignment of reporting obligations in the field of environment policy and thereby amending directives 86 / 278 / eec , 2002 / 49 / ec , 2004 / 35 / ec , 2007 / 2 / ec , 2009 / 147 / ec and 2010 / 63 / eu , regulations no 166 / 2006 and no 995 / 2010 , and council regulations no 338 / 97 and no 2173 / 2005 ### proposal for a regulation of the european parliament and of the council on the alignment of reporting obligations in the field of legislation related to the environment and thereby amending directives 86 / 278 / eec , 2002 / 49 / ec , 2004 / 35 / ec , 2007 / 2 / ec , 2009 / 147 / ec and 2010 / 63 / eu , regulations no 166 / 2006 and no 995 / 2010 , and council regulations no 338 / 97 and no 2173 / 2005


### the commission shall send the draft estimates to the budgetary authority together with the draft general budget of the union . ### the commission shall send the draft estimates to the budgetary authority together with the draft general budget of the union . the commission shall send these draft estimates simultaneously to the agency .


### the term of office for members and their alternates shall be four years . that term shall be extendable . upon the expiry of their term of office or in the event of their resignation , members shall remain in office until their appointments are renewed or until they are replaced . ### the term of office for members and their alternates shall be four years . that term shall be renewable . upon the expiry of their term of office or in the event of their resignation , members shall remain in office until their appointments are renewed or until they are replaced .


### the objective of the agency shall be to assist the commission in shaping and implementing vocational education and training and skills and qualifications policies . to this end the agency shall provide evidence and services for policy making and knowledge sharing amongst and between union and national actors , in particular governments and social partners . ### the objective of the agency shall be to contribute to the shaping and implementing of vocational education and training policy , skills and qualifications policies , at the union level . to this end the agency shall provide evidence and services for policy making and knowledge sharing amongst and between union and national actors , in particular governments and social partners .


### as the three so - called tripartite agencies - cedefop , the european foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions and the european agency for safety and health at work - address issues related to the labour market , working environment and vocational education and training and skills , close coordination among the three agencies is required and the ways to enhance efficiency and synergies should be exploited . in addition , where relevant , the agency should seek to engage in efficient cooperation with the european commission ' s in - house research capacities . ### as the three tripartite agencies - cedefop , the european foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions and the european agency for safety and health at work - address issues related to the labour market , working environment and vocational education and training and skills , close coordination among the three agencies is required so that the work of the agencies does not overlap where they have similar fields of interest , while ways to enhance efficiency and synergies should be exploited and any duplication among the agencies , as well as between them and the commission , concerning their mandates , objectives and activities , should be avoided . in addition , where relevant , the agency should seek to engage in efficient cooperation with the commission ' s and european parliament ' s in - house research capacities .


### give general orientation for the agency ' s activities and adopt each year the agency ' s programming document by a majority of two - thirds of members entitled to vote and in accordance with article 6 ; ### give strategic orientation for the agency ' s activities taking into account that the prime role of the management board is the strategic governance of the agency ' s work , such as its priorities and the specific themes on which it works and their coherence with the needs of stakeholders and adopt each year the agency ' s programming document by a majority of two - thirds of members entitled to vote and in accordance with article 6 ;


### the objective of the agency shall be to assist the commission in shaping and implementing vocational education and training and skills and qualifications policies . to this end the agency shall provide evidence and services for policy making and knowledge sharing amongst and between union and national actors , in particular governments and social partners . ### the objective of the agency shall be to assist the commission , other union institutions , member states and the social partners in helping shape and implement vocational education and training and skills and qualifications policies . to this end the agency shall provide evidence and analyses for policy making and knowledge sharing amongst and between union and national actors , in particular governments and social partners .


### the executive director shall also be responsible for deciding whether it is necessary for the purpose of carrying out the agency ' s tasks in an efficient and effective manner to establish one or more local offices in one or more member states . that decision requires the prior consent of the commission , the management board and the member state where the local office is to be established . that decision shall specify the scope of the activities to be carried out at that local office in a manner that avoids unnecessary costs and duplication of administrative functions of the agency . ### the executive director shall also be responsible for deciding whether it is necessary for the purpose of carrying out the agency ' s tasks in an efficient and effective manner to establish one local offices in brussels as a liaison office to further the agency ' s cooperation with the relevant union institutions . that decision shall be subject to the prior consent of the commission , the management board and the member state where the local office is to be established . that decision shall specify the scope of the activities to be carried out at that local office in a manner that avoids unnecessary costs and duplication of administrative functions of the agency .


### preparing the agency ' s draft statement of estimates of revenue and expenditure and implementing its budget . ### preparing the agency ' s draft statement of estimates of revenue and expenditure and implementing its budget , as part of the agency ' s programming document ;


### unless the work programme provides otherwise , proposals shall include a plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results . if the expected exploitation entails developing , creating , manufacturing and marketing a product or process , or in creating and providing a service , the plan shall include a strategy for such exploitation . if the plan provides for exploitation primarily in non - associated third countries , the legal entities shall explain how that exploitation is still in the union interest . ### unless the work programme provides otherwise , proposals shall include a plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results . if the expected exploitation entails developing , creating , manufacturing and marketing a product or process , or in creating and providing a service , the plan shall include a strategy for such exploitation . if the plan provides for exploitation primarily in non - associated third countries , the legal entities shall justify how that exploitation is still in the union interest .


### with the aim of deepening the relationship between science and society and maximising benefits of their interactions , the programme should engage and involve citizens and civil society organisations in co - designing and co - creating responsible research and innovation agendas and contents , promoting science education , making scientific knowledge publicly accessible , and facilitating participation by citizens and civil society organisations in its activities . it should do so across the programme and through dedicated activities in the part ' strengthening the european research area ' . the engagement of citizens and civil society in research and innovation should be coupled with public outreach activities to generate and sustain public support for the programme . the programme should also seek to remove barriers and boost synergies between science , technology , culture and the arts to obtain a new quality of sustainable innovation . ### with the aim of deepening the relationship between science and society and maximising benefits of their interactions , the programme should engage and involve citizens and civil society organisations in co - designing and co - creating responsible research and innovation agendas and contents , promoting science , technology , engineering and arts education , making scientific knowledge publicly accessible , and facilitating participation by citizens and civil society organisations in its activities . it should do so across the programme and through dedicated activities in the part ' strengthening the european research area ' . the engagement of citizens and civil society in research and innovation should be coupled with public outreach activities to generate and sustain public support for the programme . the programme should also seek to remove barriers and boost synergies between science , technology , culture and the arts to obtain a new quality of sustainable innovation .


### the financial envelope for the implementation of the framework programme for the period 2021 &#8211 ; 2027 shall be eur 94 100 000 000 in current prices for the specific programme referred to in article 1 and , in addition , the amount for the specific programme referred to in article 1 , as laid down in regulation&#8230 ; . establishing the european defence fund . ### the financial envelope for the implementation of the framework programme for the period 2021 &#8211 ; 2027 shall be eur 120 000 000 000 in current prices for the specific programme referred to in article 1 and , in addition , the amount for the specific programme referred to in article 1 , as laid down in regulation&#8230 ; . establishing the european defence fund .


### cluster ' inclusive and secure society ' : strengthening european democratic values , including rule of law and fundamental rights , safeguarding our cultural heritage , and promoting socio - economic transformations that contribute to inclusion and growth , while responding to the challenges arising from persistent security threats , including cybercrime , as well as natural and man - made disasters . ### cluster ' inclusive educated and creative society ' : strengthening european democratic values , including rule of law and fundamental rights , safeguarding our cultural heritage , supporting in particular research and innovation activities for the development of ict technologies for the preservation and digitisation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage as well , exploring the potential of cultural and creative sectors and promoting socio - economic transformations that contribute to inclusion and growth , including migration management and integration of migrants .


### cluster ' inclusive and secure society ' : strengthening european democratic values , including rule of law and fundamental rights , safeguarding our cultural heritage , and promoting socio - economic transformations that contribute to inclusion and growth , while responding to the challenges arising from persistent security threats , including cybercrime , as well as natural and man - made disasters . ### cluster ' inclusive and secure society ' : strengthening european democratic values , including rule of law and fundamental rights , developing and safeguarding our culture and cultural heritage , supporting in particular research and innovation activities for the development of artistic research in the digital field , ict technologies for the preservation and digitisation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage as well as promoting sustainable socio - economic transformations that contribute to inclusion and growth , while responding to the challenges arising from persistent security threats , including cybercrime , as well as natural and man - made disasters .


### eur 2 800 000 000 for cluster ' inclusive and secure society ' ; ### eur 3 300 000 000 for cluster ' inclusive , educated and creative society ' ;


### beneficiaries having received union funding shall use their best efforts to exploit their results , in particular in the union . exploitation may be done directly by the beneficiaries or indirectly in particular through the transfer and licensing of results in accordance with article 36 . ### beneficiaries having received union funding shall exploit their results , substantially in the union . such exploitation may be done directly by the beneficiaries or indirectly in particular through the transfer and licensing of results in accordance with article 36 .


### it is the union ' s objective to strengthen its scientific and technological bases and encourage its competitiveness , including in its industry , while promoting all research and innovation activities to deliver on the union ' s strategic priorities , which ultimately aim at promoting peace , the union ' s values and the well - being of its peoples . ### it is the union ' s objective to strengthen its scientific and technological bases and encourage its competitiveness , including in its industry , while promoting all research and innovation activities to deliver on the union ' s strategic priorities , which ultimately aim at promoting peace , the union ' s values and the well - being of its citizens , in particular the most disadvantaged ones .


### the programme shall ensure the effective promotion of gender equality and the gender dimension in research and innovation content . particular attention shall be paid to ensuring gender balance , subject to the situation in the field of research and innovation concerned , in evaluation panels and in bodies such as expert groups . ### the programme shall ensure the effective promotion of gender equality , inter alia through enabling a better family / work life balance , and the gender dimension in research and innovation content . particular attention shall be paid to ensuring accessibility and gender balance , subject to the situation in the field of research and innovation concerned , across the various parts of the programme , and notably in evaluation panels and in bodies such as expert groups .


### it is important to support industry to stay or become world leader in innovation , digitisation and decarbonisation , notably through investments in key enabling technologies that will underpin tomorrow ' s business . the programme ' s actions should be used to address market failures or sub - optimal investment situations , in a proportionate manner , without duplicating or crowding out private financing and have a clear european added value . this will ensure consistency between the actions of the programme and eu state aid rules , avoiding undue distortions of competition in the internal market . ### it is important to support industry to stay or become world leader in innovation , digitisation and decarbonisation , notably through investments in key enabling technologies that will underpin tomorrow ' s business as well as the well - being of union citizens . the programme ' s actions should be used to address market failures or sub - optimal investment situations , in a proportionate manner , without duplicating or crowding out private financing and have a clear european added value . this will ensure consistency between the actions of the programme and eu state aid rules , avoiding undue distortions of competition in the internal market .


### to deliver scientific , economic and societal impact in pursuit of this general objective , the union should invest in research and innovation through horizon europe - a framework programme for research and innovation 2021 - 2027 to support the creation and diffusion of high - quality knowledge and technologies , to strengthen the impact of research and innovation in developing , supporting and implementing union policies , to support the uptake of innovative solutions in industry and society to address global challenges and promote industrial competitiveness ; to foster all forms of innovation , including breakthrough innovation , and strengthen market deployment of innovative solutions ; and optimise the delivery of such investment for increased impact within a strengthened european research area . ### to deliver scientific , economic , cultural and societal impact in pursuit of this general objective , the union should invest in research and innovation through horizon europe - a framework programme for research and innovation 2021 - 2027 to support the creation and diffusion of high - quality knowledge and technologies , to strengthen the impact of research and innovation in developing , supporting and implementing union policies , to support the uptake of innovative solutions in industry whilst achieving the goal of establishing a more inclusive , educated , creative and secure and society , to address global challenges and promote industrial competitiveness ; to foster all forms of innovation , including breakthrough innovation , and strengthen market deployment of innovative solutions ; and optimise the delivery of such investment for increased impact within a strengthened european research area .


### cluster ' inclusive and secure society ' ; ### cluster ' inclusive , educated and creative society ' ;


### areas of intervention : democracy ; cultural heritage ; social and economic transformations ; disaster - resilient societies ; protection and security ; cybersecurity ### areas of intervention : democracy ; cultural heritage ; social and economic transformations ; cultural and creative industries and sectors ; accessibility for persons with disabilities to all products and services


### areas of intervention : manufacturing technologies ; digital technologies ; advanced materials ; artificial intelligence and robotics ; next generation internet ; high performance computing and big data ; circular industries ; low carbon and clean industry ; space ### areas of intervention : manufacturing technologies ; digital technologies ; culture and creative sectors ; advanced materials ; artificial intelligence and robotics ; next generation internet ; high performance computing and big data ; circular industries ; low carbon and clean industry ; space


### the activities developed under the programme should aim at eliminating gender inequalities and promoting equality between women and men in research and innovation , in compliance with articles 2 and 3 of the treaty on european union and article 8 of the tfeu . the gender dimension should be adequately integrated in research and innovation content and followed through at all stages of the research cycle . ### the activities developed under the programme should aim at eliminating gender inequalities , enhancing family / work life balance , promoting equality between women and men in , as well as ensuring accessibility of researchers with disabilities to , research and innovation , in compliance with articles 2 and 3 of the treaty on european union and article 8 of the tfeu . these dimensions should be adequately integrated in research and innovation content and followed through at all stages of the research cycle .


### areas of intervention : democracy ; cultural heritage ; social and economic transformations ; disaster - resilient societies ; protection and security ; cybersecurity ### areas of intervention : democracy ; culture and cultural heritage ; social and economic transformations ; cultural and creative sectors ; disaster - resilient societies ; protection and security ; cybersecurity


### the activities developed under the programme should aim at eliminating gender inequalities and promoting equality between women and men in research and innovation , in compliance with articles 2 and 3 of the treaty on european union and article 8 of the tfeu . the gender dimension should be adequately integrated in research and innovation content and followed through at all stages of the research cycle . ### the activities developed under the programme should aim at eliminating gender inequalities and promoting equality between women and men in research and innovation , as well as access to the scientific community and decision - making positions in the field of research , in compliance with articles 2 and 3 of the treaty on european union and article 8 of the tfeu . the gender dimension should be adequately integrated in research and innovation content and followed through at all stages of the research cycle .


### areas of intervention : climate science and solutions ; energy supply ; energy systems and grids ; buildings and industrial facilities in energy transition ; communities and cities ; industrial competitiveness in transport ; clean transport and mobility ; smart mobility ; energy storage . ### areas of intervention : climate science and solutions ; energy supply ; energy systems and grids ; buildings and industrial facilities in energy transition ; communities and cities ; industrial competitiveness in transport ; clean transport and mobility ; smart mobility ; energy storage ; culture and cultural heritage .


### areas of intervention : democracy ; cultural heritage ; social and economic transformations ; disaster - resilient societies ; protection and security ; cybersecurity ### areas of intervention : democracy and fundamental rights ; culture and cultural heritage ; education ; social and economic transformations ; disaster - resilient societies ; protection and security ; cybersecurity


### the programme should seek synergies with other union programmes , from their design and strategic planning , to project selection , management , communication , dissemination and exploitation of results , to monitoring , auditing and governance . with a view to avoiding overlaps and duplication and increasing the leverage of union funding , transfers from other union programmes to horizon europe activities can take place . in such cases they will follow horizon europe rules . ### the programme should seek synergies with other union programmes , from their design and strategic planning , application and reporting forms , to project selection , management , communication , dissemination and exploitation of results , to monitoring , auditing and governance . with a view to avoiding overlaps and duplication and increasing the leverage of union funding , as well as decreasing administrative burden for the applicants and beneficiaries .


### increasing citizens ' understanding of the union , its history , cultural heritage and diversity ; ### increasing citizens ' understanding of the union , and its integration , history , institutions , values and cultural heritage , which make up european identity in its diversity ;


### with regard to data acquisition , the activities under copernicus should aim at completing and maintaining the existing space infrastructure , preparing the long - term replacement of the satellites at the end of their lifetime , as well as initiating new missions addressing new observation systems to support meeting the challenge of global climate change . activities under copernicus should expand their global monitoring coverage over the polar regions and support environmental compliance assurance , statutory environmental monitoring and reporting and innovative environmental applications . in doing so , copernicus should leverage and take maximum advantage of the investments made under the previous funding period , while exploring new operational and business models to further complement the copernicus capacities . copernicus should also build on successful partnerships with member states to further develop its security dimension under appropriate governance mechanisms , in order to respond to evolving user needs in the security domain . ### with regard to data acquisition , the activities under copernicus should aim at completing and maintaining the existing space infrastructure , preparing the long - term replacement of the satellites at the end of their lifetime , as well as initiating new missions , whose feasibility is currently being studied by the european space agency , addressing new observation systems to support meeting the challenge of global climate change and agricultural monitoring . activities under copernicus should expand their global monitoring coverage over the polar regions and support environmental compliance assurance , statutory environmental monitoring and reporting and innovative environmental applications . in doing so , copernicus should leverage and take maximum advantage of the investments made under the previous funding period , while exploring new operational and business models to further complement the copernicus capacities . copernicus should also build on successful partnerships with member states to further develop its security dimension under appropriate governance mechanisms , in order to respond to evolving user needs in the security domain .


### environmental monitoring , reporting and compliance assurance services covering : ### environmental , agricultural and rural development monitoring , reporting and compliance assurance services covering :


### copernicus shall include actions to provide access to all copernicus data and copernicus information and , where appropriate , provide additional infrastructure and services to foster the distribution , access and use of those data and information . ### copernicus shall include actions to provide access to all copernicus data and copernicus information and , where appropriate , provide additional infrastructure and services to foster the distribution , access and use of those data and information . specific actions on awareness and training on the services provided by copernicus towards specific potential users will be also provided , as well as incentivising measures to encourage farmers for using copernicus - based services in the context of cap . specific actions shall also be established to support the access to copernicus data and strengthen the uptake of copernicus - based services by regional and local authorities . &#160 ;


### copernicus should ensure an autonomous access to environmental knowledge and key technologies for earth observation and geo - information services , thereby enabling the union to achieve independent decision - making and actions in the fields of the environment , climate change , civil protection , security , as well as the digital economy , among others . ### copernicus should ensure an autonomous access to environmental and agricultural knowledge and key technologies for earth observation and geo - information services , thereby enabling the union to achieve independent decision - making and actions in the fields of the environment , agriculture , climate change , civil protection , security , as well as the digital economy , among others .


### ' copernicus core users ' which benefit from copernicus data and copernicus information and have the additional role of driving the evolution of copernicus , comprising the union institutions and bodies and european national , or regional public bodies entrusted with a public service mission for the definition , implementation , enforcement or monitoring of environmental , civil protection , safety or security policies ; ### ' copernicus core users ' which benefit from copernicus data and copernicus information and have the additional role of driving the evolution of copernicus , comprising the union institutions and bodies and european national , or regional public bodies entrusted with a public service mission for the definition , implementation , enforcement or monitoring of agricultural , environmental , civil protection , safety or security policies ;


### promote the role of the union in the international arena as a leading actor in the space sector and strengthening its role in tackling global challenges and supporting global initiatives , including with regards to climate change and sustainable development . ### promote the role of the union in the international arena as a leading actor in the space sector and strengthening its role in tackling global challenges and supporting global initiatives , including with regards to climate change , food security and sustainable development .


### provide , or contribute to the provision of , high - quality and up - to - date and , where appropriate , secure space - related data , information and services without interruption and wherever possible at global level , meeting existing and future needs and able to meet the union ' s political priorities , including as regards climate change and security and defence ; ### provide , or contribute to the provision of , high - quality and up - to - date and , where appropriate , secure space - related data , information and services without interruption and wherever possible at global level , meeting existing and future needs and able to meet the union ' s political priorities , including as regards climate change , food security and safety and security and defence ;


### data and information processing component , which shall include activities for the generation of value - added information to support environmental monitoring , reporting and compliance assurance , civil protection and security services ; ### data and information processing component , which shall include activities for the generation of value - added information to support environmental , agricultural and rural development monitoring and reporting and compliance assurance , civil protection and security services ;


### data and information processing component , which shall include activities for the generation of value - added information to support environmental monitoring , reporting and compliance assurance , civil protection and security services ; ### data and information processing component , which shall include activities for the generation of standardised value - added information to support water , environmental , agricultural , rural development and forestry monitoring , reporting and compliance assurance , civil protection and security services ;


### the sanctions and penalties for fraud and counterfeiting of non - cash means of payment should be effective , proportionate and dissuasive throughout the union . ### the sanctions and penalties for fraud and counterfeiting of non - cash means of payment should be effective , proportionate and dissuasive throughout the union in order to discourage fraud of this type .


### it is appropriate to provide for more severe penalties where the crime is committed by a criminal organisation , as defined in council framework decision 2008 / 841 / jha45 , or where a crime is conducted on a large scale , thus involving extensive or considerable damage to the victims or an aggregate advantage for the offender of at least eur 20 000 . _________________ 45 council framework decision 2008 / 841 / jha of 24 october 2008 on the fight against organised crime . ### it is appropriate to provide for more severe penalties where the crime is committed by a criminal organisation , as defined in council framework decision 2008 / 841 / jha45 , or where a crime is conducted on a large scale , thus involving extensive or considerable damage to the victims . _________________ 45 council framework decision 2008 / 841 / jha of 24 october 2008 on the fight against organised crime .


### for the purpose of exchanging information relating to the offences referred to in articles 3 to 7 , member states shall ensure that they have an operational national point of contact available 24 hours a day and seven days a week . member states shall also ensure that they have procedures in place so that urgent requests for assistance are promptly dealt with and the competent authority replies within eight hours of receipt , at least indicating whether the request will be answered , and the form and estimated time of such an answer . member states may decide to make use of the existing networks of operational points of contact . ### for the purpose of exchanging information relating to the offences referred to in articles 3 to 7 , member states shall ensure that they have an operational national point of contact available 24 hours a day and seven days a week . member states shall also ensure that they have procedures in place so that urgent requests for assistance are promptly dealt with and the competent authority replies within two hours of receipt , at least indicating whether the request will be answered , and the form and estimated time of such an answer . member states may decide to make use of the existing networks of operational points of contact .


### member states shall ensure that natural and legal persons who have suffered a prejudice from offences referred to in articles 3 to 7 , committed by misusing personal data , are offered specific information and advice on how to protect themselves against the negative consequences of the offences , such as reputational damage . ### member states shall ensure that natural and legal persons who have suffered a prejudice from offences referred to in articles 3 to 7 , committed by misusing personal data , are offered specific information and advice on how to protect themselves against the negative consequences of the offences , such as reputational damage , damage to their credit rating and financial costs ;


### member states shall take the necessary measures to encourage financial institutions and other legal persons operating in their territory to report without undue delay suspected fraud to law enforcement and other competent authorities , for the purpose of detecting , preventing , investigating or prosecuting offences referred to in articles 3 to 7 . ### member states shall take the necessary measures to ensure that financial institutions and other legal persons operating in their territory report without undue delay suspected fraud to law enforcement and other competent authorities , for the purpose of detecting , preventing , investigating or prosecuting offences referred to in articles 3 to 7 .


### possession , procurement for use , import , export , sale , transport , distribution or otherwise making available of a stolen or otherwise unlawfully appropriated , or of a counterfeited or falsified payment instrument in order for it to be used fraudulently . ### procurement for oneself or another , including import , export , sale and distribution of a payment instrument which has been stolen or otherwise unlawfully appropriated , or of a payment instrument counterfeited or falsified by another , in order for it to be used fraudulently .


### possession , procurement for use , import , export , sale , transport , distribution or otherwise making available of a stolen or otherwise unlawfully appropriated , or of a counterfeited or falsified payment instrument in order for it to be used fraudulently . ### procurement for use , import , export , sale , transport , distribution or otherwise making available of a stolen or otherwise unlawfully appropriated , or of a counterfeited or falsified payment instrument in order for it to be used fraudulently .


### effective and efficient criminal law measures are essential to protect non - cash means of payment against fraud and counterfeiting . in particular , a common criminal law approach is needed to the constituent elements of criminal conduct that contribute to or prepare the way for the actual fraudulent use of means of payment . behaviour such as the collection and possession of payment instruments with the intention to commit fraud , through , for instance , phishing or skimming , and their distribution , for example by selling credit card information on the internet , should thus be made a criminal offence in its own right without being directly linked to the actual fraudulent use of means of payment . so such criminal conduct should also cover circumstances where possession , procurement or distribution does not necessarily lead to fraudulent use of such payment instruments , if the offender is aware of such a possibility . this directive does not sanction the legitimate use of a payment instrument , including and in relation to the provision of innovative payment services , such as services commonly developed by fintech companies . ### effective and efficient criminal law measures are essential to protect non - cash means of payment against fraud and counterfeiting . in particular , a common criminal law approach is needed to the constituent elements of criminal conduct that contribute to or prepare the way for the actual fraudulent use of means of payment . behaviour such as the collection of payment instruments with the intention to commit fraud , through , for instance , phishing or skimming , and their distribution , for example by selling credit card information on the internet , should thus be made a criminal offence in its own right without being directly linked to the actual fraudulent use of means of payment . so such criminal conduct should also cover circumstances where procurement or distribution does not necessarily lead to fraudulent use of such payment instruments , if the offender is aware of such a possibility . this directive does not sanction the legitimate use of a payment instrument , including and in relation to the provision of innovative payment services , such as services commonly developed by fintech companies .


### in many cases , criminal activities underlie incidents that should be notified to the relevant national competent authorities under directive 2016 / 1148 of the european parliament and the council46 . such incidents may be suspected to be of criminal nature even if the evidence of a criminal offence is not sufficiently clear from the outset . in this context , relevant operators of essential services and digital service providers should be encouraged to share the reports required under directive 2016 / 1148 with law enforcement authorities so as to form an effective and comprehensive response and to facilitate attribution and accountability by the perpetrators for their actions . in particular , promoting a safe , secure and more resilient environment requires systematic reporting of incidents of a suspected serious criminal nature to law enforcement authorities . moreover , when relevant , computer security incident response teams designated under article 9 of directive 2016 / 1148 should be involved in law enforcement investigations with a view to providing information , as considered appropriate at national level , and also providing specialist expertise on information systems . __________________ 46 directive 2016 / 1148 of the european parliament and of the council of 6 july 2016 concerning measures for a high common level of security of network and information systems across the union . ### in many cases , criminal activities underlie incidents that should be notified to the relevant national competent authorities under directive 2016 / 1148 of the european parliament and the council46 . such incidents may be suspected to be of criminal nature even if the evidence of a criminal offence is not sufficiently clear from the outset . in this context , relevant operators of essential services and digital service providers should share the reports required under directive 2016 / 1148 with law enforcement authorities so as to form an effective and comprehensive response and to facilitate attribution and accountability by the perpetrators for their actions . in particular , promoting a safe , secure and more resilient environment requires systematic reporting of incidents of a suspected serious criminal nature to law enforcement authorities . moreover , when relevant , computer security incident response teams designated under article 9 of directive 2016 / 1148 should be involved in law enforcement investigations with a view to providing information , as considered appropriate at national level , and also providing specialist expertise on information systems . __________________ 46 directive 2016 / 1148 of the european parliament and of the council of 6 july 2016 concerning measures for a high common level of security of network and information systems across the union .


### a number of instruments and mechanisms exist at union level to enable the exchange of information among national law enforcement authorities to investigate and prosecute crimes . to facilitate and speed up cooperation among national law enforcement authorities and make sure that those instruments and mechanisms are used to their fullest extent , this directive should strengthen the importance of the operational points of contact introduced by council framework decision 2001 / 413 / jha . member states may decide to make use of the existing network of operational points of contact , such as that set up in directive 2013 / 40 / eu of the european parliament and of the council48 . they should provide effective assistance , for example facilitating the exchange of relevant information and the provision of technical advice or legal information . to ensure the network runs smoothly , each point of contact should be able to communicate quickly with the point of contact of another member state . given the significant trans - border dimension of this area of crime and in particular the volatile nature of the electronic evidence , member states should be able to promptly deal with urgent requests from this network of points of contact and provide feedback within eight hours . _________________ 48 directive 2013 / 40 / eu of the european parliament and of the council of 12 august 2013 on attacks against information systems and replacing council framework decision 2005 / 222 / jha . ### a number of instruments and mechanisms exist at union level to enable the exchange of information among national law enforcement authorities to investigate and prosecute crimes . to facilitate and speed up cooperation among national law enforcement authorities and make sure that those instruments and mechanisms are used to their fullest extent , this directive should strengthen the importance of the operational points of contact introduced by council framework decision 2001 / 413 / jha . member states may decide to make use of the existing network of operational points of contact , such as that set up in directive 2013 / 40 / eu of the european parliament and of the council48 . they should provide effective assistance , for example facilitating the exchange of relevant information and the provision of technical advice or legal information . to ensure the network runs smoothly , each point of contact should be able to communicate quickly with the point of contact of another member state . given the significant trans - border dimension of this area of crime and in particular the volatile nature of the electronic evidence , member states should be able to promptly deal with urgent requests from this network of points of contact and provide feedback within eight hours , in order to prevent any increase in the financial damage or in potential terrorist acts . _________________ 48 directive 2013 / 40 / eu of the european parliament and of the council of 12 august 2013 on attacks against information systems and replacing council framework decision 2005 / 222 / jha .


### fraudulent use of payment instruments ### fraudulent use of non - cash payment instruments


### member states shall take the necessary measures to ensure that effective investigative tools , such as those which are used in organised crime or other serious crime cases , are available to persons , units or services responsible for investigating or prosecuting the offences referred to in articles 3 to 7 . ### member states shall take the necessary measures to ensure that effective investigative tools are available to persons , units or services responsible for investigating or prosecuting the offences referred to in articles 3 to 7 .


### they involve extensive or considerable damage or an aggregate advantage of at least eur 20 000 . ### they involve extensive or considerable damage , a significant number of victims or an aggregate advantage of at least eur 10 000 .


### this directive establishes minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and sanctions in the area of fraud and counterfeiting of non - cash means of payment . ### this directive establishes minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and sanctions in the area of fraud and counterfeiting of non - cash means of payment . it also aims to facilitate the prevention of such offences , to assist and support victims and to improve cooperation between judicial and other competent authorities .


### the commission shall , by [ 96 months after entry into force ] , carry out an evaluation of this directive on combating fraud and counterfeiting of non - cash means of payment and submit a report to the european parliament and to the council . ### the commission shall , by [ 48 months after entry into force ] , carry out an evaluation of this directive on combating fraud and counterfeiting of non - cash means of payment and submit a report to the european parliament and to the council .


### fraud and counterfeiting of non - cash means of payment can result in serious economic and non - economic consequences for its victims . where such fraud involves identity theft , its consequences are often aggravated because of reputational damage and serious emotional harm . member states should adopt measures of assistance , support and protection aimed at mitigating these consequences . ### fraud and counterfeiting of non - cash means of payment can result in serious economic and non - economic consequences for its victims . where such fraud involves identity theft , its consequences are often aggravated because of reputational damage , damage to an individual’s credit rating and serious emotional harm . member states should adopt measures of assistance , support and protection aimed at mitigating these consequences .


### member states shall bring into force the laws , regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this directive by [ 24 months after entry into force ] . they shall immediately inform the commission thereof . ### member states shall bring into force the laws , regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this directive by [ 12 months after entry into force ] . they shall immediately inform the commission thereof .


### member states shall take the necessary measures to ensure that , when committed intentionally with fraudulent purpose , the production , procurement for use , import , export , sale , transport , distribution or otherwise making available of a device or an instrument , computer data or any other means specifically designed or adapted for the purpose of committing any of the offences referred to in article 4 and or article 5 , is punishable as a criminal offence . ### member states shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the production , procurement for oneself or another , import , export , sale , transport , distribution or otherwise making available of a device or an instrument , computer data or any other means specifically designed or adapted for the purpose of committing any of the offences referred to in article 4 and or article 5 , is punishable as a criminal offence , when committed with the intention that these means be used to commit any of the said offences .