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1. For health technologies referred to in Article 16(2), health technology developers may request a joint scientific consultation.

2. Health technology developers of medicinal products may request that the joint scientific consultation take place in parallel with the process of receiving scientific advice from the European Medicines Agency. In such a case, the health technology developer shall make the request for scientific advice to the European Medicines Agency when submitting the request for the joint scientific consultation. Health technology developers of medical devices may request that the joint scientific consultation take place in parallel with the consultation of an expert panel. In such a case, when submitting the request for the joint scientific consultation, the health technology developer may make the request for a consultation with the expert panel, where appropriate.

3. The Coordination Group shall publish the dates of request periods and state the planned number of joint scientific consultations for each of those request periods on the IT platform referred to in Article 30. At the end of each request period, where the number of eligible requests exceeds the number of planned joint scientific consultations, the Coordination Group shall select the health technologies that are to be subject to joint scientific consultations, ensuring the equal treatment of requests concerning health technologies with similar intended indications. The criteria for selecting from eligible requests for medicinal products and medical devices shall be:

(a) unmet medical needs;

(b) first in class;

(c) potential impact on patients, public health, or healthcare systems;

(d) significant cross-border dimension;

(e) major Union-wide added value; or (f) Union clinical research priorities.

4. Within 15 working days after the end of each request period, the Coordination Group shall inform the requesting health technology developer whether it will engage in the joint scientific consultation. Where the Coordination Group refuses the request, it shall inform the health technology developer thereof and explain the reasons, having regard to the criteria laid down in paragraph 3.