1. The Commission, in cooperation with the type-approval authority of the Member State concerned, shall investigate all cases where concerns have been brought to its attention regarding the competence of a technical service or the continued compliance by a technical service with the requirements and responsibilities to which it is subject under this Regulation. The Commission may also commence such investigations on its own initiative.
The Commission shall investigate the responsibility of the technical service in the case where it is demonstrated or where there are justified grounds for considering that a type-approval has been granted on the basis of false data, that the test results have been falsified or that data or technical specifications have been withheld that would have led to the refusal to grant the type-approval.
2. The Commission shall consult the designating type-approval authority, as part of the investigation referred to in paragraph 1. That type-approval authority shall provide the Commission, upon request, with all relevant information relating to the performance and the compliance with the requirements concerning independence and competence of the technical service concerned.
3. The Commission shall ensure that all sensitive information obtained in the course of its investigations is treated confidentially.
4. Where the Commission ascertains that a technical service does not comply or no longer complies with the requirements for its designation, or that it is responsible for any of the situations referred to in paragraph 1, it shall inform the Member State of the designating type-approval authority thereof.
The Commission shall request that Member State to take restrictive measures, including the restriction, suspension or withdrawal of the designation, where necessary.
Where a Member State fails to take the necessary restrictive measures, the Commission may adopt implementing acts to decide to restrict, suspend or withdraw the designation of the technical service concerned. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 83(2). The Commission shall notify the Member State concerned of those implementing acts and shall update the information published referred to in Article 74(3) accordingly.