1.Contracting entities shall by electronic means offer unrestricted and full direct access free of charge to the procurement documents from the date of publication of a notice in accordance with Article 71 or the date on which an invitation to confirm interest was sent.
Where the means of calling for competition is a notice on the existence of a qualification system, such access shall be offered as soon as possible and at the latest when the invitation to tender or to negotiate is sent. The text of the notice or of those invitations shall specify the internet address at which the procurement documents are accessible.
Where unrestricted and full direct access free of charge by electronic means to certain procurement documents cannot be offered for one of the reasons set out in the second subparagraph of Article 40(1), contracting entities may indicate in the notice or the invitation to confirm interest that the procurement documents concerned will be transmitted by other means than electronic means in accordance with paragraph 2 of this Article. In such a case, the time limit for the submission of tenders shall be prolonged by five days, except in the cases of duly substantiated urgency referred to in Article 45(3) and where the time limit is set by mutual agreement pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 46(2) or the second subparagraph of Article 47(2).
Where unrestricted and full direct access free of charge by electronic means to certain procurement documents cannot be offered because contracting entities intend to apply Article 39(2), they shall indicate in the notice or the invitation to confirm interest or, where the means of calling for competition is a notice on the existence of a qualification system, in the procurement documents which measures aimed at protecting the confidential nature of the information they require and how access can be obtained to the documents concerned. In such case, the time limit for the submission of tenders shall be prolonged by five days, except in the cases of duly substantiated urgency referred to in Article 45(3) and where the time limit is set by mutual agreement pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 46(2) or the second subparagraph of Article 47(2).
2.Provided that it has been requested in good time, the contracting entities shall supply to all tenderers taking part in the procurement procedure additional information relating to the specifications and any supporting documents not later than six days before the time limit fixed for the receipt of tenders. In the event of an accelerated open procedure as referred to in Article 45(3), that period shall be four days.