Article 17Liability of legal persons
1.Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that legal persons can be held liable for any of the offences referred to in Articles 3 to 12 and 14 committed for their benefit by any person, acting either individually or as part of an organ of the legal person, and having a leading position within the legal person, based on one of the following:
(a)a power of representation of the legal person;
(b)an authority to take decisions on behalf of the legal person;
(c)an authority to exercise control within the legal person.
2.Member States shall also take the necessary measures to ensure that legal persons can be held liable where the lack of supervision or control by a person referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article has made possible the commission of any of the offences referred to in Articles 3 to 12 and 14 for the benefit of that legal person by a person under its authority.
3.Liability of legal persons under paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall not exclude criminal proceedings against natural persons who are perpetrators, inciters or accessories in any of the offences referred to in Articles 3 to 12 and 14.