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1. Each Member State shall establish or designate a Single Point of Contact. The Single Point of Contact shall be the central entity responsible for coordinating and facilitating the exchange of information under this Directive.

2. Member States shall ensure that their Single Point of Contact is equipped and empowered to carry out at least all of the following tasks:

(a) receiving and evaluating requests for information submitted in accordance with Article 4 in the languages notified pursuant to Article 11(2);

(b) channelling requests for information to the relevant competent law enforcement authorities and, where necessary, coordinating among them the processing of such requests and the provision of information pursuant to such requests;

(c) coordinating the analysis and structuring of information with a view to providing it to the Single Points of Contact and, where applicable, to the competent law enforcement authorities of other Member States;

(d) providing, on request or on its own initiative, information to other Member States in accordance with Articles 5 and 7;

(e) refusing to provide information in accordance with Article 6 and, where necessary, requesting clarification or specifications in accordance with Article 6(3);

(f) sending requests for information to the Single Points of Contact of other Member States in accordance with Article 4 and, where necessary, providing clarification or specifications in accordance with Article 6(3).

3. Member States shall ensure that:

(a) their Single Point of Contact:

(i) has access to all information available to their competent law enforcement authorities, in so far as necessary to carry out its tasks under this Directive;

(ii) carries out its tasks 24 hours a day, 7 days a week;

(iii) is provided with qualified staff, appropriate operational tools, technical and financial resources, infrastructure, and capabilities, including for translation, necessary to carry out its tasks in an adequate, effective and rapid manner in accordance with this Directive, including, where applicable, within the time limits set out in Article 5(1);

(b) the judicial authorities competent to grant the judicial authorisations required under national law in accordance with Article 9 are available on call to the Single Point of Contact 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

4. Member States shall notify the Commission within one month of the establishment or designation of their Single Point of Contact. They shall inform the Commission where there are changes as regards their Single Point of Contact. The Commission shall publish those notifications, and any updates thereto, in the Official Journal of the European Union.