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Official lists of approved economic operators and certification by bodies established under public or private law

1. Member States may introduce either official lists of approved contractors, suppliers or service providers or certification by certification bodies established under public or private law. Member States shall adapt the conditions for registration on these lists and for the issue of certificates by certification bodies to the provisions of Article 39(1) and (2)(a) to (d) and (h), Article 40, Article 41(1), (4) and (5), Article 42(1)(a) to (i), (2) and (4), Article 43 and, where appropriate, Article 44. Member States shall also adapt them to Article 41(2) and Article 42(2) as regards applications for registration submitted by economic operators belonging to a group and claiming resources made available to them by the other companies in the group. In such a case, these operators must prove to the authority establishing the official list that they will have these resources at their disposal throughout the period of validity of the certificate attesting to their being registered in the official list, and that throughout the same period these companies must continue to fulfil the qualitative selection requirements laid down in the Articles referred to in the second subparagraph on which operators rely for their registration.

2. Economic operators registered on the official lists or having a certificate may, for each contract, submit to the contracting authority/entity a certificate of registration issued by the competent authority or the certificate issued by the competent certification body. The certificates shall state the references which enabled them to be registered in the list or to obtain certification and the classification given in that list.

3. Certified registration on official lists by the competent authorities or a certificate issued by the certification body shall not, for the purposes of the contracting authorities/entities of other Member States, constitute a presumption of suitability except as regards Article 39(1) and (2)(a) to (d) and (h), Article 40, Article 41(1)(b) and (c) and Article 42(1)(a)(i) and (b) to (g) in the case of contractors, Article 42(1)(a)(ii), (b) to (e) and (i) in the case of suppliers and Article 42(1)(a)(ii), (b) to (e) and (g) in the case of service providers.

4. Information which can be deduced from registration on official lists or certification may not be questioned without justification. With regard to the payment of social security contributions and taxes, an additional certificate may be required of any registered economic operator whenever a contract is offered. The contracting authorities/entities of other Member States shall apply paragraph 3 and the first subparagraph of this paragraph only to economic operators established in the Member State holding the official list.

5. For any registration of economic operators of other Member States in an official list or for their certification by the bodies referred to in paragraph 1, no further proof or statement can be required other than those requested of national economic operators and, in any event, only those provided for under Articles 39 to 43 and, where appropriate, Article 44. However, economic operators from other Member States may not be obliged to undergo such registration or certification in order to participate in a contract. Contracting authorities/entities shall recognise equivalent certificates from bodies established in other Member States. They shall also accept other equivalent means of proof.

6. Economic operators may apply at any time to be registered on an official list or for a certificate to be issued. They must be informed within a reasonably short period of time of the decision of the authority drawing up the list or of the competent certification body.

7. The certification bodies referred to in paragraph 1 shall be bodies complying with European certification standards.

8. Member States which have official lists or certification bodies as referred to in paragraph 1 shall be obliged to inform the Commission and the other Member States of the address of the body to which applications should be sent.