Directive 2009/81/EC of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Article 56 Requirements for review procedures

1. Member States shall ensure that the measures taken concerning the review procedures specified in Article 55 include provision for powers:

(a) to take, at the earliest opportunity and by way of interlocutory procedures, interim measures with the aim of correcting the alleged infringement or preventing further injury to the interests concerned, including measures to suspend or to ensure the suspension of the procedure for the award of a contract or the implementation of any decision taken by the contracting authority/entity, and to set aside or ensure the setting aside of decisions taken unlawfully, including the removal of discriminatory technical, economic or financial specifications in the invitation to tender, the contract documents or in any other document relating to the contract award procedure in question; or

(b) to take, at the earliest opportunity, if possible by way of interlocutory procedures and if necessary by a final procedure on the substance, measures other than those provided for in point (a) with the aim of correcting any identified infringement and preventing injury to the interests concerned; in particular, making an order for the payment of a particular sum, in cases where the infringement has not been corrected or prevented.

In both the above cases, the powers provided for shall include the power to award damages to persons injured by the infringement.

2. The powers specified in paragraph 1 and Articles 60 and 61 may be conferred on separate bodies responsible for different aspects of the review procedure.

3. When a body of first instance, which is independent of the contracting authority/entity, reviews a contract award decision, Member States shall ensure that the contracting authority/entity cannot conclude the contract before the review body has made a decision on the application either for interim measures or for review. The suspension shall end no earlier than the expiry of the standstill period referred to in Article 57(2) and Article 60(4) and (5).

4. Except where provided for in paragraph 3 of this Article and Article 55(6), review procedures need not necessarily have an automatic suspensive effect on the contract award procedures to which they relate.

5. Member States may provide that the body responsible for review procedures may take into account the probable consequences of interim measures for all interests likely to be harmed, as well as the public interest, in particular defence and/or security interests, and may decide not to grant such measures when their negative consequences could exceed their benefits.

A decision not to grant interim measures shall not prejudice any other claim of the person seeking such measures.

6. Member States may provide that where damages are claimed on the grounds that a decision was taken unlawfully, the contested decision must first be set aside by a body having the necessary powers.

7. Except where provided for in Articles 60 to 62, the effects of the exercise of the powers referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article on a contract concluded subsequent to its award shall be determined by national law.

Furthermore, except where a decision must be set aside prior to the award of damages, a Member State may provide that, after the conclusion of a contract in accordance with Article 55(6), paragraph 3 of this Article or Articles 57 to 62, the powers of the body responsible for review procedures shall be limited to awarding damages to any person harmed by an infringement.

8. Member States shall ensure that decisions taken by bodies responsible for review procedures can be effectively enforced.

9. Where bodies responsible for review procedures are not judicial in character, written reasons for their decisions shall always be given. Furthermore, in such a case, provision must be made to guarantee procedures whereby any allegedly illegal measure taken by the review body or any alleged defect in the exercise of the powers conferred on it can be the subject of judicial review or review by another body which is a court or tribunal within the meaning of Article 234 of the Treaty and independent of both the contracting authority/entity and the review body.

The members of such an independent body shall be appointed and leave office under the same conditions as members of the judiciary as regards the authority responsible for their appointment, their period of office, and their removal. At least the President of this independent body shall have the same legal and professional qualifications as members of the judiciary. The decisions taken by the independent body shall, by means determined by each Member State, be legally binding.

10. Member States shall ensure that the bodies responsible for review procedures guarantee an adequate level of confidentiality of classified information or other information contained in the files transmitted by the parties, and act in conformity with defence and/or security interests throughout the procedure.

To this end, Member States may decide that a specific body has sole jurisdiction for the review of contracts in the fields of defence and security.

In any case, Member States may provide that only the members of review bodies personally authorised to deal with classified information may examine applications for review involving such information. They may also impose specific security measures concerning the registration of applications for review, the reception of documents and the storage of files.

Member States shall determine how review bodies are to reconcile the confidentiality of classified information with respect for the rights of the defence, and, in the case of a judicial review or of a review by a body which is a court or tribunal within the meaning of Article 234 of the Treaty, shall do so in such a way that the procedure complies, as a whole, with the right to a fair trial.