CHAPTER IVCOMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
Article 16Enforcement coordination
1
To the extent necessary to achieve the objectives of this Regulation, Member States shall inform each other and the Commission of their activities of Community interest in areas such as:
a
the training of their consumer protection enforcement officials, including language training and the organisation of training seminars;
b
the collection and classification of consumer complaints;
c
the development of sector-specific networks of competent officials;
d
the development of information and communication tools;
e
the development of standards, methodologies and guidelines for consumer protection enforcement officials;
f
the exchange of their officials.
Member States may, in cooperation with the Commission, carry out common activities in the areas referred to in (a) to (f). The Member States shall, in cooperation with the Commission, develop a common framework for the classification of consumer complaints.
2
The competent authorities may exchange competent officials in order to improve cooperation. The competent authorities shall take the necessary measures to enable exchanged competent officials to play an effective part in activities of the competent authority. To this end such officials shall be authorised to carry out the duties entrusted to them by the host competent authority in accordance with the laws of its Member State.
3
During the exchange the civil and criminal liability of the competent official shall be treated in the same way as that of the officials of the host competent authority. Exchanged competent officials shall observe professional standards and be subject to the appropriate internal rules of conduct of the host competent authority that ensure, in particular, the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data, procedural fairness and the proper observance of the confidentiality and professional secrecy provisions established in Article 13.
4
The Community measures necessary for the implementation of this Article, including the arrangements for implementing common activities, shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 19(2).
Article 17Administrative cooperation
1
To the extent necessary to achieve the objectives of this Regulation, Member States shall inform each other and the Commission of their activities of Community interest in areas such as:
a
consumer information and advice;
b
support of the activities of consumer representatives;
c
support of the activities of bodies responsible for the extra-judicial settlement of consumer disputes;
d
support of consumers' access to justice;
e
collection of statistics, the results of research or other information relating to consumer behaviour, attitudes and outcomes.
Member States may, in cooperation with the Commission, carry out common activities in the areas referred to in (a) to (e). The Member States shall, in cooperation with the Commission, develop a common framework for the activities referred to in (e).
2
The Community measures necessary for the implementation of this Article, including the arrangements for implementing common activities, shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 19(2).
Article 18International agreements
The Community shall cooperate with third countries and with the competent international organisations in the areas covered by this Regulation in order to enhance the protection of consumers' economic interests. The arrangements for cooperation, including the establishment of mutual assistance arrangements, may be the subject of agreements between the Community and the third countries concerned.