Article 14, Structured cooperation
1. A national regulatory authority or body (the ‘requesting authority’) may at any time request one or more other national regulatory authorities or bodies (the ‘requested authorities’) to cooperate with it, including by exchanging information or by means of mutual assistance, for the consistent and effective application of this Chapter or the implementation of Directive 2010/13/EU.
2. A request for cooperation shall contain all the necessary information related to it, including the purpose of and reasons for the request for cooperation.
3. The requested authority may refuse to address a request for cooperation only in the following cases:
(a) it is not competent with regard to the subject matter of the request for cooperation or to provide the type of cooperation requested;
(b) the execution of the request for cooperation would infringe this Regulation, Directive 2010/13/EU or other Union law or national law which complies with Union law and to which the requested authority is subject;
(c) the scope or the subject matter of the request for cooperation has not been duly justified or is disproportionate.
The requested authority shall, without undue delay, provide the reasons for any refusal to address a request for cooperation. Where the requested authority has refused a request for cooperation under point (a) of the first subparagraph, it shall, where possible, indicate the competent authority.
4. The requested authority shall do its utmost to address and reply to a request for cooperation without undue delay and provide regular updates on the progress made in executing that request.
5. Where the requesting authority considers that the requested authority has not sufficiently addressed or replied to its request for cooperation, it shall inform the requested authority without undue delay, explaining the reasons for its position. Where the requesting authority and the requested authority do not come to an agreement concerning the request for cooperation, either authority may refer the matter to the Board. In accordance with timelines to be established by the Board in its rules of procedure, the Board shall issue, in consultation with the Commission, an opinion on the matter, including recommended actions. The authorities concerned shall do their utmost to take into account the opinion of the Board.
6. Where a requesting authority considers that there is a serious and grave risk of limitation of the freedom to provide or receive media services in the internal market or a serious and grave risk of prejudice to public security, it may submit a request to a requested authority to provide accelerated cooperation, while ensuring compliance with fundamental rights, in particular the freedom of expression, including for the purpose of ensuring the effective application of national measures referred to in Article 3 of Directive 2010/13/EU. The requested authority shall reply to and do its utmost to address requests for accelerated cooperation within 14 calendar days.
Paragraphs 2, 3 and 5 of this Article shall apply mutatis mutandis to requests for accelerated cooperation.
7. The Board shall set out in its rules of procedure further details on the procedure for structured cooperation as referred to in this Article.
Note: This is the final text of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) - Regulation (EU) 2024/1083 of 11 April 2024.