
CHAPTER I
Article 1 
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Article 2 
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Article 3 
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CHAPTER II
Article 4 
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Article 5 
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Article 6 

1. Each Member State shall ensure that users can access and complete any of the procedures listed in Annex II fully online, provided that the relevant procedure has been established in the Member State concerned.
2. The procedures referred to in paragraph 1 shall be considered to be fully online where:
(a) the identification of users, the provision of information and supporting evidence, signature and final submission can all be carried out electronically at a distance, through a service channel which enables users to fulfil the requirements related to the procedure in a user-friendly and structured way;
(b) users are provided with an automatic acknowledgement of receipt, unless the output of the procedure is delivered immediately;
(c) the output of the procedure is delivered electronically, or where necessary to comply with applicable Union or national law, delivered by physical means; and
(d) users are provided with an electronic notification of completion of the procedure.
3. Where, in exceptional cases justified by overriding reasons of public interest in the areas of public security, public health or the fight against fraud, the objective pursued cannot be fully achieved online, Member States may require the user to appear in person before the competent authority as a step in the procedure. In such exceptional cases, Member States shall limit such physical presence to what is strictly necessary and objectively justified and shall ensure that other steps of the procedure can be completed fully online. Member States shall also ensure that physical presence requirements do not result in discrimination against cross-border users.
4. Member States shall notify and explain, through a common repository accessible to the Commission and the other Member States, the grounds on which, and the circumstances in which, physical presence might be required for the procedural steps referred to in paragraph 3, and the grounds on which, and the circumstances in which, physical delivery is necessary, as referred to in point (c) of paragraph 2.
5. This Article shall not prevent Member States from offering users the additional possibility of accessing and completing the procedures referred to in point (b) of Article 2(2) by means other than an online channel, or from contacting users directly.
Article 7 
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Article 8 
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CHAPTER III
SECTION 1
Article 9 
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Article 10 
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Article 11 
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Article 12 
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SECTION 2
Article 13 

1. Member States shall ensure that, where a procedure referred to in point (b) of Article 2(2) and established at national level can be accessed and completed online by non-cross-border users, it can also be accessed and completed online by cross-border users in a non-discriminatory way by means of the same or an alternative technical solution.
2. Member States shall ensure that, for the procedures referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, at least the following requirements are met:
(a) users are able to access the instructions for completing the procedure in an official language of the Union that is broadly understood by the largest possible number of cross-border users, in accordance with Article 12;
(b) cross-border users are able to submit the required information, including where the structure of such information differs from similar information in the Member State concerned;
(c) cross-border users are able to identify and authenticate themselves, sign or seal documents electronically, as provided for in Regulation (EU) No 910/2014, in all cases where this is also possible for non-crossborder users;
(d) cross-border users are able to provide evidence of compliance with applicable requirements and to receive the outcome of the procedures in electronic format in all cases where this is also possible for non-crossborder users;
(e) where the completion of a procedure requires a payment, users are able to pay any fees online through widely available cross-border payment services, without discrimination based on the place of establishment of the payment service provider, the place of issue of the payment instrument or the location of the payment account within the Union.
3. Where the procedure does not require electronic identification or authentication, as referred to in point (c) of paragraph 2, and where competent authorities are allowed under applicable national law or administrative practices to accept digitalised copies of non-electronic evidence of identity, such as identity cards or passports, in respect of non-crossborder users, those authorities shall also accept such digitalised copies in respect of cross-border users.
Article 14 

1. For the purpose of the exchange of evidence for the online procedures listed in Annex II to this Regulation and the procedures provided for in Directives 2005/36/EC, 2006/123/EC, 2014/24/EU and 2014/25/EU, a technical system for the automated exchange of evidence between competent authorities in different Member States (‘the technical system’) shall be established by the Commission in cooperation with the Member States.
2. Where competent authorities lawfully issue, in their own Member State and in an electronic format that allows automated exchange, evidence that is relevant for the online procedures referred to in paragraph 1, they shall also make such evidence available to requesting competent authorities from other Member States in an electronic format that allows automated exchange.
3. The technical system shall, in particular:
(a) enable the processing of requests for evidence at the explicit request of the user;
(b) enable the processing of requests for evidence to be accessed or exchanged;
(c) allow the transmission of evidence between competent authorities;
(d) allow the processing of the evidence by the requesting competent authority;
(e) ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the evidence;
(f) enable the possibility for the user to preview the evidence to be used by the requesting competent authority and to choose whether or not to proceed with the exchange of evidence;
(g) ensure an adequate level of interoperability with other relevant systems;
(h) ensure a high level of security for the transmission and processing of evidence;
(i) not process evidence beyond what is technically necessary for the exchange of evidence, and then only for the duration necessary for that purpose.
4. The use of the technical system shall not be obligatory for users and shall only be permitted at their explicit request, unless otherwise provided under Union or national law. The users shall be permitted to submit evidence by means other than the technical system and directly to the requesting competent authority.
5. The possibility of previewing the evidence, referred to in point (f) of paragraph 3 of this Article shall not be required for procedures where the automated cross-border data exchange without such preview is allowed under applicable Union or national law. That possibility of previewing the evidence shall be without prejudice to the obligation to provide the information under Articles 13 and 14 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
6. Member States shall integrate the fully operational technical system as part of the procedures referred to in paragraph 1.
7. The competent authorities responsible for the online procedures referred to in paragraph 1 shall, upon an explicit, freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous request of the user concerned, request evidence directly from competent authorities issuing evidence in other Member States through the technical system. The issuing competent authorities referred to in paragraph 2 shall, in accordance with point (e) of paragraph 3, make such evidence available through the same system.
8. The evidence made available to the requesting competent authority shall be limited to what has been requested and shall only be used by that authority for the purpose of the procedure for which the evidence was exchanged. The evidence exchanged through the technical system shall, for the purposes of the requesting competent authority, be deemed to be authentic.
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10. Paragraphs 1 to 8 shall not apply to procedures established at Union level which provide for different mechanisms for the exchange of evidence, unless the technical system necessary for the implementation of this Article is integrated into those procedures in accordance with the rules of the Union acts that establish those procedures.
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Article 15 
Where the technical system, or other systems for the exchange or verification of evidence between Member States are not available or are not applicable, or where the user does not request the use of the technical system, competent authorities shall cooperate through the Internal Market Information System (IMI) where this is necessary in order to verify the authenticity of evidence that was submitted to one of them in an electronic format by the user for the purpose of an online procedure.
SECTION 3
Article 16 
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SECTION 4
Article 17 
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CHAPTER IV
Article 18 
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Article 19 
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Article 20 
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Article 21 
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CHAPTER V
Article 22 
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Article 23 
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CHAPTER VI
Article 24 
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Article 25 
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Article 26 
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Article 27 
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CHAPTER VII
Article 28 
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Article 29 
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Article 30 
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Article 31 
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CHAPTER VIII
Article 32 
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Article 33 
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Article 34 
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Article 35 
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Article 36 
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Article 37 
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Article 38 
Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 is amended as follows:

((1)) Article 1 is replaced by the following:
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Article 1 
This Regulation lays down rules for the use of an Internal Market Information System (“IMI”) for administrative cooperation among the IMI actors, including the processing of personal data.';
((2)) in Article 3, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:
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1. IMI shall be used for exchanges of information, including of personal data, among the IMI actors and for the processing of that information for the purposes of either of the following:
(a) administrative cooperation required in accordance with the acts listed in the Annex;
(b) administrative cooperation subject to a pilot project carried out in accordance with Article 4.';
((3)) in Article 5, the second paragraph is amended as follows:

((a)) point (a) is replaced by the following:
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((a)) “IMI” means the electronic tool provided by the Commission to facilitate administrative cooperation among the IMI actors;';
((b)) point (b) is replaced by the following:
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((b)) “administrative cooperation” means the collaboration between IMI actors by exchanging and processing information for the purpose of better application of Union law;';
((c)) point (g) is replaced by the following:
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((g)) “IMI actors” means the competent authorities, the IMI coordinators, the Commission and the Union bodies, offices and agencies;';
((4)) in Article 8(1), the following point is added:
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((f)) ensuring coordination with Union bodies, offices and agencies and granting them access to IMI.';
((5)) in Article 9, paragraph 4 is replaced by the following:
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4. Appropriate means shall be put in place by the Member States, the Commission and Union bodies, offices and agencies to ensure that IMI users are allowed to access personal data processed in IMI only on a need-to-know basis and within the internal market area or areas for which they were granted access rights in accordance with paragraph 3.';
((6)) Article 21 is amended as follows:

((a)) paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:
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2. The European Data Protection Supervisor shall be responsible for monitoring and ensuring the application of this Regulation when the Commission or Union bodies, offices and agencies, in their role as IMI actors, process personal data. The duties and powers referred to in Articles 57 and 58 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 shall apply accordingly.';
((b)) paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:
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3. The National Supervisory Authorities and the European Data Protection Supervisor, each acting within the scope of their respective competences, shall cooperate with each other to ensure the coordinated supervision of IMI and its use by IMI actors in accordance with Article 62 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.';
((c)) paragraph 4 is deleted;
((7)) in Article 29, paragraph 1 is deleted;
((8)) in the Annex, the following points are added:
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11. Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation): Article 56, Articles 60 to 66 and Article 70(1).

12. Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 October 2018 establishing a single digital gateway to provide access to information, to procedures and to assistance and problem-solving services and amending Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012: Articles 6(4), 15 and 19.
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Article 39 
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...Done at Strasbourg, 2 October 2018.
For the European Parliament
The President
A. TAJANI
For the Council
The President
J. BOGNER-STRAUSS
ANNEX I

Areas of information areas related to citizens:

Area INFORMATION REGARDING RIGHTS, OBLIGATIONS AND RULES ARISING FROM UNION AND NATIONAL LAW
 A. Travel within the Union
  1. documents required of Union citizens, their family members who are not Union citizens, minors travelling alone and non-Union citizens when travelling across borders within the Union (ID card, visa, passport)
 2. rights and obligations of travellers by plane, train, ship, bus in and from the Union, and of those who buy travel packages or linked travel arrangements
 3. assistance in case of reduced mobility when travelling in and from the Union
 4. transport of animals, plants, alcohol, tobacco, cigarettes and other goods when travelling in the Union
 5. voice calling and sending and receiving electronic messages and electronic data within the Union

 B. Work and retirement within the Union
  1. seeking employment in another Member State
 2. taking up employment in another Member State
 3. recognition of qualifications with a view to employment in another Member State
 4. taxation in another Member State
 5. rules on liability and mandatory insurance linked to residence or employment in another Member State
 6. terms and conditions of employment, including for posted workers, as stipulated by law or statutory instrument (including information on working hours, paid leave, holiday entitlements, rights and obligations regarding overtime work, health checks, termination of contracts, dismissal and redundancies)
 7. equal treatment (rules prohibiting discrimination in the workplace, rules on equal pay for men and women and on equal pay for employees on fixed-term or permanent employment contracts)
 8. health and safety obligations in relation to different types of activity
 9. social security rights and obligations in the Union including those related to getting pensions

 C. Vehicles in the Union
  1. taking a motor vehicle temporarily or permanently to another Member State
 2. acquiring and renewing a driving licence
 3. taking out mandatory motor vehicle insurance
 4. buying and selling a motor vehicle in another Member State
 5. national traffic rules and requirements for drivers, including general rules for the use of the national road infrastructure: time-based charges (vignette), distance-based charges (toll), emission stickers

 D. Residence in another Member State
  1. moving temporarily or permanently to another Member State
 2. purchasing and selling of immovable property, including any conditions and obligations related to taxation, ownership, or use of such property, including its use as a secondary residence
 3. participating in municipal elections and elections to the European Parliament
 4. requirements for residence cards for Union citizens and their family members, including family members who are not Union citizens
 5. conditions applicable to the naturalisation of nationals from another Member State
 6. rules applicable in the case of death, including rules on the repatriation of remains to another Member State

 E. Education or traineeship in another Member State
  1. education system in another Member State, including early childhood education and care, primary and secondary education, higher education and adult learning
 2. volunteering in another Member State
 3. traineeships in another Member State
 4. conducting research in another Member State as part of an education programme

 F. Healthcare
  1. getting medical treatment in another Member State
 2. buying prescribed pharmaceutical products in a Member State other than the one where the prescription was issued, online or in person
 3. health insurance rules applicable in the case of short-term or long-term stays in another Member State, including how to apply for a European Health Insurance Card
 4. general information on access rights or obligations to participate in available public preventive healthcare measures
 5. services provided through national emergency numbers, including ‘112’ and ‘116’ numbers
 6. rights and conditions for moving to a residential care home

 G. Citizens’ and family rights
  1. birth, custody for minor children, parental responsibilities, rules on surrogacy and adoption, including second-parent-adoption, maintenance obligations in relation to children in a cross-border family situation
 2. living in a couple with different nationalities, including same-sex couples (marriage, civil or registered partnership, separation, divorce, marital property rights, the rights of cohabitants)
 3. rules of gender recognition
 4. rights and obligations in relation to succession in another Member State, including tax rules
 5. rights and rules applicable in the case of cross-border parental child abduction

 H. Consumer rights
  1. buying goods, digital content or services (including financial services) from another Member State, online or in person
 2. holding a bank account in another Member State
 3. connection to utilities, such as gas, electricity, water, household waste disposal, telecoms and the internet
 4. payments, including credit transfers, delays in cross-border payments
 5. consumer rights and guarantees related to buying goods and services, including procedures for consumer dispute resolution and compensation
 6. safety and security of consumer products
 7. renting a motor vehicle

 I. Protection of personal data
  1. exercising data subjects’ rights in relation to the protection of personal data


Areas of information related to businesses:

Area INFORMATION REGARDING RIGHTS, OBLIGATIONS AND RULES
 J. Starting, running and closing a business
  1. registering, changing the legal form of or closing a business (registration procedures and legal forms for carrying out business)
 2. moving a business to another Member State
 3. intellectual property rights (applying for a patent, registering a trademark, a drawing or a design, getting a licence for reproduction)
 4. fairness and transparency in commercial practices, including consumer rights and guarantees related to selling goods and services
 5. offering online facilities for cross-border payments when selling goods and services online
 6. rights and obligations arising under contract law, including late payment interests
 7. insolvency proceedings and liquidation of companies
 8. credit insurance
 9. mergers of companies or selling a business
 10. civil liability of directors of a company
 11. rules and obligations regarding the processing of personal data

 K. Employees
  1. terms of employment stipulated by law or statutory instrument (including working hours, paid leave, holiday entitlements, rights and obligations regarding overtime work, health checks, termination of contracts, dismissals and redundancies)
 2. social security rights and obligations in the Union (registering as employer, registering employees, notifying the end of contract of an employee, paying social contributions, rights and obligations related to pensions)
 3. employment of workers in other Member States (posting of workers, rules on freedom to provide services, residency requirements for workers)
 4. equal treatment (rules prohibiting discrimination in the workplace, rules on equal pay for men and women and equal pay for employees on fixed-term or under permanent employment contracts)
 5. rules on staff representation

 L. Taxes
  1. VAT: information on the general rules, rates and exemptions, registering for and paying VAT, obtaining a refund
 2. excise duties: information on the general rules, rates and exemptions, registration for excise tax purposes and payment of excise tax, obtaining a refund
 3. customs duties and other taxes and duties collected on imports
 4. customs procedures for imports and exports under the Union Customs Code
 5. other taxes: payment, rates, tax returns

 M. Goods
  1. obtaining CE marking
 2. product rules and requirements
 3. identifying applicable standards, technical specifications and getting products certified
 4. mutual recognition of products not subject to Union specifications
 5. requirements regarding classification, labelling and packaging for hazardous chemicals
 6. distance/off-premises selling: information to be given to customers in advance, confirmation of the contract in writing, withdrawal from a contract, delivering of the goods, other specific obligations
 7. defective products: consumer rights and guarantees, after-sale responsibilities, means of redress for an injured party
 8. certification, labels (EMAS, energy labels, Eco-design, EU eco-label)
 9. recycling and waste management

 N. Services
  1. acquiring licences, authorisations or permits with a view to starting and operating a business
 2. notifying the authorities of cross-border activities
 3. recognition of professional qualifications, including vocational education and training

 O. Funding a business
  1. obtaining access to finance at the Union level, including Union funding programmes and business grants
 2. obtaining access to finance at national level
 3. initiatives addressed to entrepreneurs (exchanges organised for new entrepreneurs, mentoring programmes, etc.)

 P. Public contracts
  1. participating in public tenders: rules and procedures
 2. submitting a bid online in response to a public call for tender
 3. reporting irregularities in relation to the tender process

 Q. Health and safety at work
  1. health and safety obligations in relation to different types of activity, including risk prevention, information and training


ANNEX II

Life events Procedures Expected output subject to an assessment of the application by the competent authority in accordance with national law, where relevant
Birth Requesting proof of registration of birth Proof of registration of birth or birth certificate
Residence Requesting proof of residence Confirmation of registration at the current address
Studying Applying for a tertiary education study financing, such as study grants and loans from a public body or institution Decision on the application for financing or acknowledgement of receipt
Submitting an initial application for admission to public tertiary education institution Confirmation of the receipt of application
Requesting academic recognition of diplomas, certificates or other proof of studies or courses Decision on the request for recognition
Working Request for determination of applicable legislation in accordance with Title II of Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 Decision on applicable legislation
Notifying changes in the personal or professional circumstances of the person receiving social security benefits, relevant for such benefits Confirmation of receipt of notification of such changes
Application for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
Submitting an income tax declaration Confirmation of the receipt of the declaration
Moving Registering a change of address Confirmation of deregistration at the previous address and of the registration of the new address
Registering a motor vehicle originating from or already registered in a Member State, in standard procedures Proof of registration of a motor vehicle
Obtaining stickers for the use of the national road infrastructure: time-based charges (vignette), distance-based charges (toll), issued by a public body or institution Receipt of toll sticker or vignette or other proof of payment
Obtaining emission stickers issued by a public body or institution Receipt of emission sticker or other proof of payment
Retiring Claiming pension and pre-retirement benefits from compulsory schemes Confirmation of the receipt of the claim or decision regarding the claim for a pension or pre-retirement benefits
Requesting information on the data related to pension from compulsory schemes Statement of personal pension data
Starting, running and closing a business Notification of business activity, permission for exercising a business activity, changes of business activity and the termination of a business activity not involving insolvency or liquidation procedures, excluding the initial registration of a business activity with the business register and excluding procedures concerning the constitution of or any subsequent filing by companies or firms within the meaning of the second paragraph of Article 54 TFEU Confirmation of the receipt of notification or change, or of the request for permission for business activity
Registration of an employer (a natural person) with compulsory pension and insurance schemes Confirmation of registration or social security registration number
Registration of employees with compulsory pension and insurance schemes Confirmation of registration or social security registration number
Submitting a corporate tax declaration Confirmation of the receipt of the declaration
Notification to the social security schemes of the end of contract with an employee, excluding procedures for the collective termination of employee contracts Confirmation of the receipt of the notification
Payment of social contributions for employees Receipt or other form of confirmation of payment of social contributions for employees


ANNEX III


((1)) Points of single contact
((2)) Product Contact Points
((3)) Product Contact Points for Construction
((4)) National assistance centres for professional qualifications
((5)) National contact points for cross-border healthcare
((6)) European network of employment services (EURES)
((7)) Online dispute resolution (ODR)
