CHAPTER VI

GENERAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS

Challenge by public authorities
Article 47
This Directive does not affect the possibility for public authorities of challenging the administrative and/or judicial decisions as provided for in national legislation.

Confidentiality
Article 48
Member States shall ensure that authorities implementing this Directive are bound by the confidentiality principle as defined in national law, in relation to any information they obtain in the course of their work.

Cooperation
Article 49
Member States shall each appoint a national contact point and communicate its address to the Commission. The Commission shall communicate that information to the other Member States.
Member States shall, in liaison with the Commission, take all appropriate measures to establish direct cooperation and an exchange of information between the competent authorities.
When resorting to the measures referred to in Article 6(5), the second subparagraph of Article 14(1) and Article 31(3)(b), Member States shall inform the Commission as soon as the reasons for applying those exceptional measures have ceased to exist and at least on an annual basis. That information shall, where possible, include data on the percentage of the applications for which derogations were applied to the total number of applications processed during that period.

Report
Article 50
No later than 20 July 2017, the Commission shall report to the European Parliament and the Council on the application of this Directive in the Member States and shall propose any amendments that are necessary. Member States shall send to the Commission all the information that is appropriate for drawing up its report. After presenting the report, the Commission shall report to the European Parliament and the Council on the application of this Directive in the Member States at least every five years.
As part of the first report, the Commission shall also report, in particular, on the application of Article 17 and the various tools used in relation to the reporting of the personal interview.

Transposition
Article 51
1
Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with Articles 1 to 30, Article 31(1), (2) and (6) to (9), Articles 32 to 46, Articles 49 and 50 and Annex I by 20 July 2015 at the latest. They shall forthwith communicate the text of those measures to the Commission.
2
Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with Article 31(3), (4) and (5) by 20 July 2018. They shall forthwith communicate the text of those measures to the Commission.
3
When Member States adopt the provisions referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or be accompanied by such a reference on the occasion of their official publication. They shall also include a statement that references in existing laws, regulations and administrative provisions to the directive repealed by this Directive shall be construed as references to this Directive. Member States shall determine how such reference is to be made and how that statement is to be formulated.
4
Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.

Transitional provisions
Article 52
Member States shall apply the laws, regulations and administrative provisions referred to in Article 51(1) to applications for international protection lodged and to procedures for the withdrawal of international protection started after 20 July 2015 or an earlier date. Applications lodged before 20 July 2015 and procedures for the withdrawal of refugee status started before that date shall be governed by the laws, regulations and administrative provisions adopted pursuant to Directive 2005/85/EC.
Member States shall apply the laws, regulations and administrative provisions referred to in Article 51(2) to applications for international protection lodged after 20 July 2018 or an earlier date. Applications lodged before that date shall be governed by the laws, regulations and administrative provisions in accordance with Directive 2005/85/EC.

Repeal
Article 53
Directive 2005/85/EC is repealed for the Member States bound by this Directive with effect from 21 July 2015, without prejudice to the obligations of the Member States relating to the time limit for transposition into national law of the Directive set out in Annex II, Part B.
References to the repealed Directive shall be construed as references to this Directive and shall be read in accordance with the correlation table in Annex III.

Entry into force and application
Article 54
This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Articles 47 and 48 shall apply from 21 July 2015.

Addressees
Article 55
This Directive is addressed to the Member States in accordance with the Treaties.