1.Following the initiation of proceedings, the Commission, acting in cooperation with the Member States, shall commence an investigation at Union level. Such an investigation shall cover both subsidisation and injury, and they shall be investigated simultaneously.
For the purpose of a representative finding, an investigation period shall be selected which in the case of subsidisation shall, normally, cover the investigation period provided for in Article 5.
Information relating to a period subsequent to the investigation period shall not, normally, be taken into account.
2.Parties receiving questionnaires used in a countervailing duty investigation shall be given at least 30 days to reply. The time limit for exporters shall be counted from the date of receipt of the questionnaire, which for this purpose shall be deemed to have been received one week from the day on which it was sent to the respondent or transmitted to the appropriate diplomatic representative of the country of origin and/or export. An extension to the 30-day period may be granted, due account being taken of the time limits of the investigation, provided that the party shows due cause for such an extension in terms of its particular circumstances.
3.The Commission may request Member States to supply information, and Member States shall take whatever steps are necessary in order to give effect to such requests.
They shall send to the Commission the information requested together with the results of all inspections, checks or investigations carried out.
Where that information is of general interest or where its transmission has been requested by a Member State, the Commission shall forward it to the Member States, provided that it is not confidential, in which case a non-confidential summary shall be forwarded.
4.The Commission may request Member States to carry out all necessary checks and inspections, particularly amongst importers, traders and Union producers, and to carry out investigations in third countries, provided that the firms concerned give their consent and that the government of the country in question has been officially notified and raises no objection.
Member States shall take whatever steps are necessary in order to give effect to such requests from the Commission.
Officials of the Commission shall be authorised, if the Commission or a Member State so requests, to assist the officials of Member States in carrying out their duties.
5.The interested parties which have made themselves known in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 10(12), shall be heard if they have, within the period prescribed in the notice published in the Official Journal of the European Union, made a written request for a hearing showing that they are an interested party likely to be affected by the result of the proceedings and that there are particular reasons why they should be heard.
6.Opportunities shall, on request, be provided for the importers, exporters and the complainants, which have made themselves known in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 10(12), and the government of the country of origin and/or export, to meet those parties having adverse interests, so that opposing views may be presented and rebuttal arguments offered.
Provision of such opportunities shall take account of the need to preserve confidentiality and of the convenience to the parties.
There shall be no obligation on any party to attend a meeting, and failure to do so shall not be prejudicial to that party's case.
Oral information provided under this paragraph shall be taken into account by the Commission in so far as it is subsequently confirmed in writing.
[F17. The Union producers, the government of the country of origin and/or export, trade unions, importers and exporters and their representative associations, users and consumer organisations, which have made themselves known in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 10(12), may, upon written request, inspect all information made available to the Commission by any party to an investigation, as distinct from internal documents prepared by the authorities of the Union or its Member States, which is relevant to the presentation of their cases and is not confidential within the meaning of Article 29, and is used in the investigation.]
Such parties may respond to such information and their comments shall be taken into consideration wherever they are sufficiently substantiated in the response.
8.Except in circumstances provided for in Article 28, the information which is supplied by interested parties and upon which findings are based shall be examined for accuracy as far as possible.
[F19. For proceedings initiated pursuant to Article 10(11), an investigation shall, whenever possible, be concluded within one year. In any event, such investigations shall in all cases be concluded within 13 months of their initiation, in accordance with the findings made pursuant to Article 13 for undertakings or the findings made pursuant to Article 15 for definitive action. Investigation periods shall, whenever possible, especially in the case of diverse and fragmented sectors largely composed of SMEs, coincide with the financial year.]
10.Throughout the investigation, the Commission shall afford the country of origin and/or export a reasonable opportunity to continue consultations with a view to clarifying the factual situation and arriving at a mutually agreed solution.
[F211. Union producers of the like product are requested to cooperate with the Commission in investigations that have been initiated pursuant to Article 10(8).
12. The Commission shall have in place the office of the Hearing Officer whose powers and responsibilities are set out in a mandate adopted by the Commission and who shall safeguard the effective exercise of the procedural rights of the interested parties.]
Textual Amendments
F1 Substituted by Regulation (EU) 2018/825 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 amending Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Union and Regulation (EU) 2016/1037 on protection against subsidised imports from countries not members of the European Union.
F2 Inserted by Regulation (EU) 2018/825 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 amending Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Union and Regulation (EU) 2016/1037 on protection against subsidised imports from countries not members of the European Union.