(1) Public contracting authorities shall inform the unsuccessful tenderers in text form and without delay of the name of the successful undertaking, the reasons for the rejection of their tenders and of the earliest date of the conclusion of the contract. This shall also apply to candidates who were not informed of the rejection of their tenders before notification of the decision on the award was sent to the successful tenderers.
(2) A contract may be concluded at the earliest 15 calendar days after the information pursuant to subsection (1) has been sent. If the information is sent electronically or by fax, the standstill period shall be reduced to 10 calendar days. The standstill period shall begin on the day after which the contracting authority despatches the information; the date of receipt by the tenderer and candidate in question shall be irrelevant.
(3) The obligation to inform the tendering parties shall not apply in cases in which negotiated procedures without prior publication are justified on grounds of extreme urgency. In the case of contracts relating to defence or security, public contracting authorities may decide to refrain from disclosing certain information on the contract award or the conclusion of a framework agreement if the disclosure impedes law enforcement, is contrary to the public interest, particularly defence or security interests, harms legitimate commercial interests of undertakings or might prejudice fair competition between them.