CHAPTER VIIF1PRESENCE IN ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES AND DURING ADMINISTRATIVE ENQUIRIES AND ADMINISTRATIVE ENQUIRIES CARRIED OUT JOINTLY

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Article 28

1

By agreement between the requesting authority and the requested authority, and in accordance with the arrangements laid down by the latter, officials authorised by the requesting authority may, with a view to exchanging the information referred to in Article 1, be present in the offices of the administrative authorities of the requested Member State, or any other place where those authorities carry out their duties. Where the requested information is contained in documentation to which the officials of the requested authority have access, the officials of the requesting authority shall be given copies thereof.

2

By agreement between the requesting authority and the requested authority, and in accordance with the arrangements laid down by the latter, officials authorised by the requesting authority may, with a view to exchanging the information referred to in Article 1, be present during the administrative enquiries carried out in the territory of the requested Member State. Such administrative enquiries shall be carried out exclusively by the officials of the requested authority. The officials of the requesting authority shall not exercise the powers of inspection conferred on officials of the requested authority. They may, however, have access to the same premises and documents as the latter, through the intermediation of the officials of the requested authority and for the sole purpose of carrying out the administrative enquiry.

F22a

By agreement between the requesting authorities and the requested authority, and in accordance with the arrangements laid down by the latter, officials authorised by the requesting authorities may, with a view to collecting and exchanging the information referred to in Article 1, take part in the administrative enquiries carried out in the territory of the requested Member State. Such administrative enquiries shall be carried out jointly by the officials of the requesting and requested authorities and shall be conducted under the direction and according to the legislation of the requested Member State. The officials of the requesting authorities shall have access to the same premises and documents as the officials of the requested authority and, in so far as it is permitted under the legislation of the requested Member State for its officials, be able to interview taxable persons.

Where it is permitted under the legislation of the requested Member State the officials of the requesting Member States shall exercise the same inspection powers as those conferred on officials of the requested Member State.

The inspection powers of the officials of the requesting authorities shall be exercised for the sole purpose of carrying out the administrative enquiry.

By agreement between the requesting authorities and the requested authority, and in accordance with the arrangements laid down by the requested authority, the participating authorities may draft a common enquiry report.

F13

The officials of the requesting authority present in another Member State in accordance with paragraphs 1, 2 and 2a must at all times be able to produce written authority stating their identity and their official capacity.