Exchange of information between Member States and the Commission
Article 3
1
By 17 February 2013 Member States shall submit to the Commission all existing intergovernmental agreements, including annexes and amendments to those agreements. Where those existing intergovernmental agreements refer explicitly to other texts, Member States shall also submit to the Commission those other texts, in so far as they contain elements which have an impact on the functioning of the internal energy market or on the security of energy supply in the Union. However, that obligation shall not apply in respect of agreements between commercial entities.
Existing intergovernmental agreements which have already been communicated to the Commission in accordance with point (a) of Article 13(6) of Regulation (EU) No 994/2010 at the date of entry into force of this Decision shall be considered as having been submitted for the purposes of this paragraph, provided that that communication meets the requirements of the first subparagraph of this paragraph. By 17 February 2013 Member States shall inform the Commission whether any part of such intergovernmental agreements is to be regarded as confidential and whether the information provided may be shared with other Member States.
Where, pursuant to this paragraph, a Member State submits existing intergovernmental agreements also falling within the scope of point (a) of Article 13(6) of Regulation (EU) No 994/2010 to the Commission, it shall be considered to have complied with the communication obligation set out in that Article.
2
Where following its first assessment, the Commission has doubts as to the compatibility with Union law of agreements submitted to it under paragraph 1, in particular with Union competition law and internal energy market legislation, the Commission shall inform the Member States concerned accordingly within nine months of the submission of those agreements.
3
Before or during negotiations with a third country on an intergovernmental agreement or on the amendment of an existing intergovernmental agreement, a Member State may inform the Commission in writing of the objectives of, and the provisions to be addressed in, the negotiations and may communicate any other relevant information to the Commission. Where the Member State gives the Commission such notice of negotiations, the Member State concerned shall keep the Commission regularly informed of the progress of the negotiations.
The Member State concerned shall indicate to the Commission whether information submitted under the first subparagraph may be shared with all other Member States. Where the Member State concerned has indicated that the information may be shared, the Commission shall make the information received accessible to all Member States in secure electronic form, with the exception of any confidential parts identified in accordance with Article 4.
4
Where a Member State gives the Commission notice of negotiations pursuant to paragraph 3, the Commission may provide it with advice on how to avoid incompatibility of the intergovernmental agreement or of the amendment to an existing intergovernmental agreement under negotiation with Union law.
5
Upon ratification of an intergovernmental agreement or of an amendment to an intergovernmental agreement, the Member State concerned shall submit the intergovernmental agreement or the amendment, including any annexes to the agreement or the amendment, to the Commission.
Where the intergovernmental agreement or the amendment to the intergovernmental agreement refers explicitly to other texts, Member States shall also submit those other texts in so far as they contain elements which have an impact on the functioning of the internal energy market or on the security of energy supply in the Union. However, that obligation does not apply in respect of agreements between commercial entities.
6
Without prejudice to paragraph 7 of this Article and Article 4, the Commission shall make the documents which it has received under paragraphs 1 and 5 accessible in secure electronic form to all other Member States.
7
Where a Member State instructs the Commission, in accordance with Article 4, not to make an existing intergovernmental agreement, an amendment to an existing intergovernmental agreement or a new intergovernmental agreement accessible to other Member States, it shall make available a summary of the information submitted. That summary shall contain at least the following information regarding the agreement or amendment in question:
a
the subject matter;
b
the aim and the scope;
c
the duration;
d
the contracting parties;
e
information on the main elements.
The Commission shall make the summaries accessible in electronic form to all other Member States.