Access to assistance and problem-solving services

1.   The Member States and the Commission shall ensure that users, including cross-border users, have easy online access through different channels to the assistance and problem-solving services referred to in point (c) of Article 2(2).
2.   The national coordinators referred to in Article 28 and the Commission may provide links to assistance and problem-solving services offered by competent authorities, the Commission or bodies, offices and agencies of the Union, other than those listed in Annex III, in accordance with Article 19(2) and (3), provided that such services comply with the quality requirements laid down in Articles 11 and 16.
3.   Where necessary to meet the needs of the users, the national coordinator may propose to the Commission that links to assistance or problem-solving services provided by private or semi-private entities are included in the gateway, where those services meet the following conditions:
(a)
they offer information or assistance within the areas, and for the purposes, covered by this Regulation and are complementary to services already included in the gateway;
(b)
they are offered free of charge or at a price which is affordable for micro-enterprises, non-profit organisations and citizens; and
(c)
they comply with the requirements laid down in Articles 8, 11 and 16.
4.   Where the national coordinator has proposed the inclusion of a link in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article, and provides such link in accordance with Article 19(3), the Commission shall assess whether the conditions in paragraph 3 of this Article are met by the service to be included through the link, and if so, shall activate the link.
Where the Commission finds that the conditions in paragraph 3 are not met by the service to be included, it shall inform the national coordinator of the reasons for not activating the link.