1.The contracting authority shall not sign the contract or framework contract, covered by Directive 2004/18/EC, with the successful tenderer until 14 calendar days have elapsed.
That period shall run from either of the following dates:
(a)the day after the simultaneous dispatch of the notifications to successful and unsuccessful tenderers;
(b)where the contract or framework contract is awarded pursuant to a negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice, the day after the contract award notice referred to in Article 123 has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Where a fax or electronic means are used for the dispatch referred to in point (a) of the second subparagraph, the standstill period shall be 10 calendar days.
If necessary, the contracting authority may suspend the signing of the contract for additional examination if this is justified by the requests or comments made by unsuccessful or aggrieved tenderers or candidates or by any other relevant information received. The requests, comments or information must be received during the period set in the first subparagraph. In the case of suspension all the candidates or tenderers shall be informed within three working days following the suspension decision.
Except in the cases provided for in paragraph 2, any contract signed before the expiry of the period set in the first subparagraph shall be null and void.
Where the contract or framework contract cannot be awarded to the successful envisaged tenderer, the contracting authority may award it to the following best tenderer.
2.The period set in paragraph 1 shall not apply in the following cases:
(a)open, restricted or negotiated procedures after publication of a contract notice where only one tender has been submitted;
(b)specific contracts based on a framework contract;
(c)negotiated procedures referred to in Articles 134(1)(c), 134(1)(g)(iii), 134(1)(h) and 134(1)(j).