Article 11Transfers of explosives
1.Explosives may be transferred only in accordance with paragraphs 2 to 8.
2.Approval to transfer explosives shall be obtained by the consignee from the competent authority in the Member State of the consignee. The competent authority shall verify that the consignee is legally authorised to acquire explosives and that he is in possession of the necessary licences or authorisations. The economic operator responsible for the transfer shall notify the competent authorities of the transit Member State of any movement of explosives through the Member State concerned and shall obtain prior approval of the transit Member State concerned.
3.Where a Member State considers that there is a problem regarding the verification of the entitlement to acquire explosives referred to in paragraph 2, that Member State shall forward the available information on the subject to the Commission which shall inform the other Member States thereof.
4.Where the competent authority in the Member State of the consignee approves a transfer, it shall issue to the consignee a document which includes all the information referred to in paragraph 5. Such a document shall accompany the explosives until they arrive at their stated destination. It shall be produced at the request of the relevant competent authorities. A copy of that document shall be retained by the consignee who shall present it, upon request, for examination by the competent authority in the Member State of the consignee.
5.Where transfers of explosives must be specially supervised in order to comply with special security requirements in the territory or part of the territory of a Member State, prior to the transfer the following information shall be provided by the consignee to the competent authority in the Member State of the consignee:
(a)the names and addresses of the economic operators concerned;
(b)the number and quantity of the explosives being transferred;
(c)a full description of the explosives in question and of the means of identification, including the United Nations identification number;
(d)where the explosives are to be placed on the market, information on compliance with conditions for placing on the market;
(e)the means of transfer and the itinerary;
(f)the expected dates of departure and arrival;
(g)where necessary, the precise points of entry to and exit from Member States.
The information referred to in point (a) of the first subparagraph shall be sufficiently detailed in order to enable competent authorities to contact the economic operators and to obtain confirmation that the economic operators concerned are entitled to receive the consignment.
The competent authority in the Member State of the consignee shall examine the conditions under which the transfer may take place, with particular regard to the special security requirements. If the special security requirements are satisfied, approval for the transfer shall be granted. In the case of transit through the territory of other Member States, those Member States shall likewise examine and approve the particulars concerning the transfer.
6.Where the competent authority of a Member State considers that special security requirements referred to in paragraphs 4 and 5 are unnecessary, explosives may be transferred on their territory or part thereof without prior provision of information within the meaning of paragraph 5. The competent authority in the Member State of the consignee shall then grant an approval for a fixed period, which is liable to suspension or withdrawal at any time on the basis of a reasoned justification. The document referred to in paragraph 4, which shall accompany the explosives until they arrive at their destination, shall refer solely to that approval.
7.Without prejudice to the normal checks which the Member State of departure is to carry out in its territory, at the request of the competent authorities concerned, the consignees and the economic operators concerned shall forward to the authorities of the Member State of departure and to those of the Member State of transit all relevant information they possess concerning the transfer of explosives.
8.No economic operator may transfer explosives unless the consignee has obtained the necessary authorisations for the transfer in accordance with paragraphs 2, 4, 5 and 6.