1.When the Commission takes decisions in accordance with Article 53, it may impose administrative fines upon the concerned economic operators for non-compliance of the vehicle, system, component or separate technical unit with the requirements laid down in this Regulation. The administrative fines provided for shall be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. In particular the fines shall be proportionate to the number of non-compliant vehicles registered in the Union market, or the number of non-compliant systems, components or separate technical unit made available on the Union market.
The administrative fines imposed by the Commission shall not be in addition to the penalties imposed by the Member States in accordance with Article 84 for the same infringement. The administrative fines imposed by the Commission shall not exceed EUR 30 000 per non-compliant vehicle, system, component or separate technical unit.
The Commission may not bring, start afresh or continue proceedings under this Article against economic operators for infringements of this Regulation for which the concerned economic operators have been penalised or declared not liable in accordance with Article 84 by an earlier decision that can no longer be challenged.
2.The Commission shall adopt, on the basis of the principles set out in paragraph 3 of this Article, delegated acts in accordance with Article 82, supplementing this Regulation by laying down the procedure for, and methods for the calculation and collection of, the administrative fines referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article.
3.The delegated acts referred to in paragraph 2 shall respect the following principles:
(a)the procedure by the Commission shall respect the right to good administration, and in particular the right to be heard and the right to have access to the file, while respecting the legitimate interests of confidentiality and of commercial secrets;
(b)in calculating the appropriate administrative fine, the Commission shall be guided by the principles of effectiveness, proportionality and dissuasiveness, taking into consideration, where relevant, the seriousness and the effects of the infringement, the good faith of the economic operator, the degree of diligence and cooperation of the economic operator, the repetition, frequency or duration of the infringement as well as prior sanctions imposed on the same economic operator;
(c)administrative fines shall be collected without undue delay by fixing deadlines for the payment and, as appropriate, including the possibility of splitting payments into several instalments and phases.
4.The amounts of administrative fines shall be considered as revenue for the general budget of the Union.