Information for candidates and tenderers

1.   The contracting authorities/entities shall, at the earliest opportunity, inform candidates and tenderers of decisions reached concerning the award of a contract or the conclusion of a framework agreement, including the grounds for any decision not to award a contract or conclude a framework agreement for which there has been competitive tendering or to recommence the procedure; that information shall be given in writing upon request to the contracting authorities/entities.
2.   At the request of the party concerned, the contracting authority/entity shall, subject to paragraph 3, at the earliest opportunity and at the latest within 15 days of receipt of the written request for information, inform the parties as follows:
(a)
any unsuccessful candidate of the reasons for the rejection of the application;
(b)
any unsuccessful tenderer of the reasons for the rejection of the tender, including, in particular, for the cases referred to in Article 18(4) and (5) the reasons for its decision of non-equivalence or its decision that the works, supplies or services do not meet the performance or functional requirements, and in the cases referred to in Articles 22 and 23, the reasons for its decision of non-conformity with the requirements of security of information and security of supply;
(c)
any tenderer which has made an admissible tender that has been rejected, of the characteristics and relative advantages of the tender selected, as well as the name of the successful tenderer or the parties to the framework agreement.
3.   Contracting authorities/entities may decide to withhold certain information on the contract award or the conclusion of the framework agreements referred to in paragraph 1 where release of such information would impede law enforcement or otherwise be contrary to the public interest, in particular defence and/or security interests, would prejudice the legitimate commercial interests of economic operators, whether public or private, or might prejudice fair competition between them.