PART 2Scope and principles

CHAPTER 5Principles

Economic operators

26.—(1) Economic operators that, under the law of the member State in which they are established, are entitled to provide the relevant service, shall not be rejected solely on the ground that under the law of England and Wales or, as the case may be, Northern Ireland, they would be required to be either natural or legal persons.

(2) Legal persons may be required to indicate, in the tender or in the application, the names and relevant professional qualifications of the staff to be responsible for the performance of the contract in question.

Groups of economic operators

(3) Groups of economic operators, including temporary associations, may participate in concession contract award procedures and shall not be required by contracting authorities or utilities to have a specific legal form in order to submit a tender or an application.

(4) Where necessary, contracting authorities or utilities may clarify in the concession documents how groups of economic operators are to meet the requirements as to economic and financial standing or technical and professional ability referred to in regulation 38 provided that this is justified by objective reasons and is proportionate.

(5) Any conditions for the performance of a concession contract by such groups of economic operators which are different from those imposed on individual participants shall also be justified by objective reasons and shall be proportionate.

(6) Contracting authorities or utilities may require groups of economic operators to assume a specific legal form once they have been awarded the contract, to the extent that such a change is necessary for the satisfactory performance of the contract.