Article 7 Procedure for cooperation between authorities

1.   Each Member State shall designate a single point of contact which shall liaise with the single points of contact of other Member States and the Commission regarding the application of this Regulation. Member States shall notify to the Commission the designated single points of contact and any subsequent change thereto.

2.   Where a competent authority in one Member State requests assistance from another Member State, pursuant to Article 5(2), in order to obtain access to data, it shall submit a duly justified request to the latter's designated single point of contact. The request shall include a written explanation of the reasons and the legal bases for seeking access to the data.

3.   The single point of contact shall identify the relevant competent authority of its Member State and transmit the request received pursuant to paragraph 2 to that competent authority.

4.   The relevant competent authority so requested shall, without undue delay and within a timeframe proportionate to the urgency of the request, provide a response communicating the data requested, or informing the requesting competent authority that it does not consider that the conditions for requesting assistance under this Regulation have been met.

5.   Any information exchanged in the context of assistance requested and provided under Article 5(2) shall be used only in respect of the matter for which it was requested.

6.   The single points of contact shall provide users with general information on this Regulation, including on the codes of conduct.