Automated enquiry of the information referred to in Article 21a(1) of Regulation (EU) No 904/2010 ( ‘ vehicle registration data ’ ) shall be conducted using a version of the European Vehicle and Driving Licence Information System (EUCARIS) software application especially designed for the purposes of Article 21a of that Regulation, and amended versions of that software.

Automated enquiry of vehicle registration data shall take place within a decentralised structure.

The vehicle registration data exchanged via the EUCARIS system shall be transmitted in encrypted form.

Automated access to vehicle registration data shall take place using the Trans European Services for Telematics between Administrations (TESTA) communications network and further developments thereof.

Member States shall take all necessary measures to ensure that automated enquiry of and automated access to vehicle registration data is possible 24 hours a day and seven days a week. In the event of a technical fault, the Member States' national contact points shall immediately inform each other with the support of the EUCARIS nominated party for operations, if needed. Automated data exchange shall be re-established as quickly as possible.

Each Member State shall designate one national authority as a national contact point responsible within that Member State for processing incoming requests for vehicle registration data for VAT purposes provided for in Article 21a of Regulation (EU) No 904/2010 and one for processing outgoing requests. The same authority may be responsible for processing both exchanges. It shall inform the other Member States and the Commission thereof.