CHAPTER III

PROCEDURES AT FIRST INSTANCE
SECTION I

Examination procedure
Article 23
1
Member States shall process applications for asylum in an examination procedure in accordance with the basic principles and guarantees of Chapter II.
2
Member States shall ensure that such a procedure is concluded as soon as possible, without prejudice to an adequate and complete examination.
Member States shall ensure that, where a decision cannot be taken within six months, the applicant concerned shall either:
a
be informed of the delay; or
b
receive, upon his/her request, information on the time-frame within which the decision on his/her application is to be expected. Such information shall not constitute an obligation for the Member State towards the applicant concerned to take a decision within that time-frame.
3
Member States may prioritise or accelerate any examination in accordance with the basic principles and guarantees of Chapter II, including where the application is likely to be well-founded or where the applicant has special needs.
4
Member States may also provide that an examination procedure in accordance with the basic principles and guarantees of Chapter II be prioritised or accelerated if:
a
the applicant, in submitting his/her application and presenting the facts, has only raised issues that are not relevant or of minimal relevance to the examination of whether he/she qualifies as a refugee by virtue of Directive 2004/83/EC; or
b
the applicant clearly does not qualify as a refugee or for refugee status in a Member State under Directive 2004/83/EC; or
c
the application for asylum is considered to be unfounded:
1. because the applicant is from a safe country of origin within the meaning of Articles 29, 30 and 31, or
2. because the country which is not a Member State, is considered to be a safe third country for the applicant, without prejudice to Article 28(1); or
d
the applicant has misled the authorities by presenting false information or documents or by withholding relevant information or documents with respect to his/her identity and/or nationality that could have had a negative impact on the decision; or
e
the applicant has filed another application for asylum stating other personal data; or
f
the applicant has not produced information establishing with a reasonable degree of certainty his/her identity or nationality, or it is likely that, in bad faith, he/she has destroyed or disposed of an identity or travel document that would have helped establish his/her identity or nationality; or
g
the applicant has made inconsistent, contradictory, improbable or insufficient representations which make his/her claim clearly unconvincing in relation to his/her having been the object of persecution referred to in Directive 2004/83/EC; or
h
the applicant has submitted a subsequent application which does not raise any relevant new elements with respect to his/her particular circumstances or to the situation in his/her country of origin; or
i
the applicant has failed without reasonable cause to make his/her application earlier, having had opportunity to do so; or
j
the applicant is making an application merely in order to delay or frustrate the enforcement of an earlier or imminent decision which would result in his/her removal; or
k
the applicant has failed without good reason to comply with obligations referred to in Article 4(1) and (2) of Directive 2004/83/EC or in Articles11(2)(a) and (b) and 20(1) of this Directive; or
l
the applicant entered the territory of the Member State unlawfully or prolonged his/her stay unlawfully and, without good reason, has either not presented himself/herself to the authorities and/or filed an application for asylum as soon as possible, given the circumstances of his/her entry; or
m
the applicant is a danger to the national security or public order of the Member State, or the applicant has been forcibly expelled for serious reasons of public security and public order under national law; or
n
the applicant refuses to comply with an obligation to have his/her fingerprints taken in accordance with relevant Community and/or national legislation; or
o
the application was made by an unmarried minor to whom Article 6(4)(c) applies, after the application of the parents or parent responsible for the minor has been rejected and no relevant new elements were raised with respect to his/her particular circumstances or to the situation in his/her country of origin.

Specific procedures
Article 24
1
Member States may provide for the following specific procedures derogating from the basic principles and guarantees of Chapter II:
a
a preliminary examination for the purposes of processing cases considered within the framework set out in Section IV;
b
procedures for the purposes of processing cases considered within the framework set out in Section V.
2
Member States may also provide a derogation in respect of Section VI.