Article 5 Data availability for competent authorities

1.   This Regulation shall not affect the powers of competent authorities to request, or obtain, access to data for the performance of their official duties in accordance with Union or national law. Access to data by competent authorities may not be refused on the basis that the data are processed in another Member State.

2.   Where, after requesting access to a user's data, a competent authority does not obtain access and if no specific cooperation mechanism exists under Union law or international agreements to exchange data between competent authorities of different Member States, that competent authority may request assistance from a competent authority in another Member State in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 7.

3.   Where a request for assistance entails obtaining access to any premises of a natural or legal person, including to any data processing equipment and means, by the requested authority, such access must be in accordance with Union law or national procedural law.

4.   Member States may impose effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties for failure to comply with an obligation to provide data, in accordance with Union and national law.

In the case of abuse of rights by a user, a Member State may, where justified by the urgency of accessing the data and taking into account the interests of the parties concerned, impose strictly proportionate interim measures on that user. If an interim measure imposes re-localisation of data for a duration that is longer than 180 days following re-localisation, it shall be communicated within that 180-day period to the Commission. The Commission shall, in the shortest possible time, examine the measure and its compatibility with Union law, and, where appropriate, take the necessary measures. The Commission shall exchange information with the single points of contact of Member States referred to in Article 7 on experience gained in this regard.