1.Where a customs authority competent to take a decision needs to consult a customs authority of another Member State concerned about the fulfilment of the necessary conditions and criteria for taking a favourable decision, that consultation shall take place within the period prescribed for the decision concerned. The customs authority competent to take a decision shall establish a time-limit for the consultation that starts from the date of communication by that customs authority of the conditions and criteria which need to be examined by the consulted customs authority.
Where, following the examination referred to in the first subparagraph, the consulted customs authority establishes that the applicant does not fulfil one or more of the conditions and criteria for taking a favourable decision, the results, duly documented and justified, shall be transmitted to the customs authority competent to take the decision.
2.The time-limit established for the consultation in accordance with paragraph 1 may be extended by the customs authority competent to take the decision in any of the following cases:
(a)where due to the nature of the examinations to be performed the consulted authority requests more time;
(b)where the applicant carries out adjustments in order to ensure the fulfilment of the conditions and criteria referred to in paragraph 1 and communicates them to the customs authority competent to take the decision, which shall inform the consulted customs authority accordingly.
3.Where the consulted customs authority does not respond within the time-limit established for the consultation in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2, the conditions and criteria for which the consultation took place are deemed to be fulfilled.
4.The consultation procedure laid down in paragraphs 1 and 2 may also be applied for the purposes of re-assessment and monitoring of a decision.