1. The applicant technical service shall submit a formal application to the type-approval authority of the Member State in which it requests to be designated in accordance with point 4 of Appendix 2 to Annex III. The application shall specify the categories of the activities for which the technical service is applying to be designated.
2. Before a type-approval authority designates a technical service, the type-approval authority or the national accreditation body shall assess it in accordance with an assessment check-list that covers at least the requirements laid down in Appendix 2 to Annex III. The assessment shall include an on-site assessment in the premises of the applicant technical service, and, where relevant, of any subsidiary or sub-contractor, whether located inside or outside the Union.
3. In cases where the assessment is carried out by a national accreditation body, the applicant technical service shall deliver to the type-approval authority a valid accreditation certificate and the corresponding assessment report attesting that the technical service fulfils the requirements laid down in Appendix 2 to Annex III for the categories of activities for which the applicant technical service is applying to be designated.
4. In cases where the assessment is carried out by the type-approval authority, the type-approval authority of the Member State from which the applicant technical service has requested to be designated shall formally appoint a joint assessment team composed of representatives of the type-approval authorities of at least two other Member States and a representative of the Commission.
Where the technical service applies to be designated in a Member State other than the Member State of its establishment, one of the representatives of the joint assessment team shall be from the type-approval authority of the Member State of its establishment, unless that type-approval authority decides against participating in the joint assessment team.
The joint assessment team shall participate in the assessment of the applicant technical service, including the on-site assessment. The designating type-approval authority of the Member State in which the applicant technical service has requested to be designated shall give the joint assessment team all necessary assistance and provide timely access to all documentation necessary to assess the applicant technical service.
5. In cases where the assessment is carried out by the type-approval authority that designates technical services which apply to perform tests exclusively for national individual vehicle approvals in accordance with Article 45, the type-approval authority of the Member State in which the applicant technical service has requested to be designated shall be exempt from the obligation to appoint a joint assessment team. The technical services which are only checking the correct installation of components on categories O1 and O2 shall also be exempt from assessment.
6. If the technical service has requested to be designated by one or more type-approval authorities from Member States other than the Member State of its establishment in accordance with Article 74(2), the assessment shall be carried out only once, provided that the entire scope of the technical service's designation has been covered in that assessment.
7. The joint assessment team shall raise findings regarding non-compliance of the applicant technical service with the requirements laid down in Articles 68 to 72, in Articles 80 and 81 and in Appendix 2 to Annex III during the assessment process. Such findings shall be discussed within the joint assessment team.
8. The joint assessment team shall produce after the on-site assessment a report setting out the extent to which the applicant technical service complies with the requirements laid down in Articles 68 to 72, in Articles 80 and 81 and in Appendix 2 to Annex III.
9. The report referred to in paragraph 8 shall contain a summary of any identified non-compliances, together with a recommendation as to whether the applicant may be designated as technical service.
10. The type-approval authority shall notify to the Commission the names and the expertise of their representatives who are to participate in each joint assessment team.
11. The type-approval authority of the Member State where the applicant technical service has requested to be designated shall send the report on the outcome of the assessment in accordance with the procedures laid down in Appendix 2 to Annex III, to the Commission and, upon request, to the type-approval authorities of the other Member States. That report shall include documentary evidence regarding the competence of the technical service and the arrangements that the type-approval authority has in place to regularly monitor the technical service.
12. The type-approval authorities of the other Member States and the Commission may review the assessment report and the documentary evidence, raise questions or concerns and request further documentary evidence within one month from the date of reception of the assessment report and the documentary evidence.
13. The type-approval authority of the Member State where the applicant technical service has requested to be designated shall respond to the questions, concerns and requests for further documentary evidence within four weeks following their receipt.
14. Within four weeks following the receipt of the response referred to in paragraph 13, the type-approval authorities of the other Member States or the Commission may individually or jointly address recommendations to the type-approval authority of the Member State where the applicant technical service has requested to be designated. That type-approval authority shall take account of the recommendations when it takes the decision on the designation of the technical service. Where that type-approval authority decides not to follow the recommendations addressed by the other Member States or the Commission, it shall give the reasons therefor within two weeks after taking its decision.
15. The validity of the designation of technical services shall be limited to five years.
16. The type-approval authority that intends to be designated as a technical service in accordance with Article 68(2) shall document compliance with this Regulation through an assessment conducted by independent auditors. Those auditors may be from within the same organisation provided that they are managed autonomously from the personnel undertaking the assessed activity, and provided that they comply with the requirements laid down in Appendix 2 to Annex III.