Commission Decision of 22 December 2006 implementing Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cooperation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws as regards mutual assistance (notified under document number C(2006) 6903) (Text with EEA relevance)

This Decision lays down rules for the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 as regards mutual assistance between competent authorities and the conditions governing that assistance.

For the purposes of this Decision, the following definitions shall apply in addition to those laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004: 1. database means the database provided for in Article 10(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004; 2. alert means a notification of an intra-Community infringement under Article 7(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004; 3. confidential treatment means treatment of information in accordance with the requirements of confidentiality and professional and commercial secrecy as provided for in Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004; 4. legal basis: means the provision of the laws that protect consumers' interest that is, or is suspected to be, the subject of an intra-community infringement, including a precise indication of the relevant provision of the laws of the Member states of the applicant authority.

The rules on the information to be supplied pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 and on the format of that information are laid down in Chapter 1 of the Annex to this Decision.

The rules on the time-limits applying to the different stages of mutual assistance pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 are laid down in Chapter 2 of the Annex to this Decision.

The rules on alerts are laid down in Chapter 3 of the Annex.

Access to information exchanged pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 shall be restricted in accordance with the rules laid down in Chapter 4 of the Annex to this Decision.

The rules on the languages to be used for requests and for the communication of information pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 are laid down in Chapter 5 of the Annex to this Decision.

This Decision shall apply from 29 December 2006.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.