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1. Participation in the mechanism for demand aggregation and the joint purchasing of natural gas shall be open to natural gas undertakings and undertakings consuming natural gas established in the Union on a non-discriminatory basis. Such undertakings shall be precluded from participating as suppliers, producers and purchasers, if they are:

(a) subject to Union restrictive measures adopted pursuant to Article 29 TEU or Article 215 TFEU, consisting of a prohibition to make available or transfer funds or economic resources or to provide financing or financial assistance to them directly or indirectly, or of an asset freeze; or (b) directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, or acting on behalf or at the direction of natural or legal persons, entities or bodies subject to such Union restrictive measures.

2. Contractual obligations shall be put in place to ensure that no funds or economic resources are made available, directly or indirectly, to or for the benefit of natural or legal persons, entities or bodies, which are:

(a) subject to Union restrictive measures adopted pursuant to Article 29 TEU or Article 215 TFEU, consisting of a prohibition to make available or transfer funds or economic resources or to provide financing or financial assistance to them directly or indirectly, or of an asset freeze; or (b) directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, or acting on behalf or at the direction of natural or legal persons, entities or bodies subject to such Union restrictive measures.

3. Natural gas undertakings and undertakings consuming natural gas established in the Energy Community Contracting Parties may participate in the mechanism for demand aggregation and the joint purchasing of natural gas provided that the necessary measures or arrangements are in place to allow their participation in the mechanism for demand aggregation and the joint purchasing of natural gas pursuant to this Section.

4. Natural gas undertakings and undertakings consuming natural gas participating in demand aggregation may, on a transparent basis, coordinate elements of the conditions of the purchase contract or use joint purchase contracts in order to achieve better conditions with their suppliers, provided that they comply with Union law, including Union competition law, in particular Articles 101 and 102 TFEU.

5. Participants in the mechanism for demand aggregation and the joint purchasing of natural gas shall report to the Commission or the relevant service provider, as appropriate, the following elements of the concluded contracts:

(a) volume;

(b) counterparts;

(c) duration.

6. Participants in the mechanism for demand aggregation and the joint purchasing of natural gas may report to the Commission or the relevant service provider, as appropriate, if matching and tendering did not result in the conclusion of a supply contract.

7. The recipient of the information reported under paragraphs 5 and 6 shall ensure that access to confidential information is strictly limited to the service provider and to Commission services for whom it is absolutely necessary to have the information available. Such information shall be handled with due confidentiality.