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1. On completion of an investigation by the Office, a report shall be drawn up, under the authority of the Director-General. That report shall give an account of the legal basis for the investigation, the procedural steps followed, the facts established and their preliminary classification in law, the estimated financial impact of the facts established, the respect of the procedural guarantees in accordance with Article 9 and the conclusions of the investigation. The report shall, where appropriate, be accompanied by recommendations of the Director-General on action to be taken. Those recommendations shall, where appropriate, indicate any disciplinary, administrative, financial or judicial action to be taken by the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and by the competent authorities of the Member States concerned, and shall specify in particular the estimated amounts to be recovered, as well as the preliminary classification in law of the facts established.

2. In drawing up the reports and recommendations referred to in paragraph 1, account shall be taken of the relevant provisions of Union law and, in so far as it is applicable, of the national law of the Member State concerned. Reports drawn up on the basis of the first subparagraph, together with all evidence in support and annexed thereto, shall constitute admissible evidence:

(a) in judicial proceedings of a non-criminal nature before national courts and in administrative proceedings in the Member States;

(b) in criminal proceedings of the Member State in which their use proves necessary in the same way and under the same conditions as administrative reports drawn up by national administrative inspectors and shall be subject to the same evaluation rules as those applicable to administrative reports drawn up by national administrative inspectors and shall have the same evidentiary value as such reports;

(c) in judicial proceedings before the CJEU and in administrative proceedings in the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies. Member States shall notify to the Office any rules of national law relevant for the purposes of point (b) of the second subparagraph. With regard to point (b) of the second subparagraph, Member States shall, upon request of the Office, send to the Office the final decision of the national courts once the relevant judicial proceedings have been finally determined and the final court decision has become public. The power of the CJEU and national courts and competent bodies in administrative and criminal proceedings to freely assess the evidential value of the reports drawn up by the Office shall not be affected by this Regulation.

2a. The Office shall take appropriate measures to ensure the consistent quality of reports and recommendations referred to in paragraph 1.

3. Reports and recommendations drawn up following an external investigation and any relevant related documents shall be sent to the competent authorities of the Member States concerned in accordance with the rules relating to external investigations and, if necessary, to the institution, body, office or agency concerned. The competent authorities of the Member State concerned and, if applicable, the institution, body, office or agency shall take such action as the results of the external investigation warrant and shall report thereon to the Office within a timelimit laid down in the recommendations accompanying the report and, in addition, at the request of the Office. Member States may notify to the Office the relevant national authorities competent to deal with such reports, recommendations and documents.

4. Reports and recommendations drawn up following an internal investigation and any relevant related documents shall be sent to the institution, body, office or agency concerned. That institution, body, office or agency shall take such action, in particular of a disciplinary or legal nature, as the results of the internal investigation warrant, and shall report thereon to the Office, within a time-limit laid down in the recommendations accompanying the report, and, in addition, at the request of the Office.

5. Where the report drawn up following an internal investigation reveals the existence of facts which could give rise to criminal proceedings, that information, together with the recommendations, shall be transmitted without delay to the judicial authorities of the Member State concerned, without prejudice to Articles 12c and 12d.

At the request of the Office, the competent authorities of the Member States concerned shall, within a time limit laid down in the recommendations, send to the Office information on the action taken, if any, and the reasons for non-implementation of the recommendations, where applicable, following the transmission by the Office of any information in accordance with the first subparagraph of this paragraph.

————— 7. Without prejudice to paragraph 4, if, on completion of an investigation, no evidence has been found against the person concerned, the Director-General shall close the investigation regarding that person and inform that person within 10 working days.

8. Where an informant provided the Office with information which led to the investigation, the Office shall notify that informant that the investigation has been closed, unless it considers that this information is such as to prejudice the legitimate interests of the person concerned and the effectiveness of the investigation and of the action to be taken subsequent thereto, or any confidentiality requirements.