On 3 October 2023 the Commission received a request pursuant to Article 35 of Directive 2014/25/EU (1). The first working day following receipt of the request was 4 October 2023 and the initial period available to the Commission for deciding on this request was of 105 working days.

This request, made by DEPA Commercial S.A., concerns activities relating to the wholesale supply of natural gas by importers and wholesalers/traders to other wholesalers and retail suppliers in Greece and the retail supply of natural gas to power producers, industrial and commercial customers, households and to private and public end-customers for use as fuel for transport vehicles in Greece. The relevant notice was published in the Official Journal of the European Union C number 2023/377 of 20 October 2023  (2). The initial deadline was 11 March 2024.

Pursuant to Annex IV, paragraph 2, of Directive 2014/25/EU, the Commission may require the Member State or the contracting entity concerned or the competent independent national authority or any other competent national authority to provide all necessary information or to supplement or clarify information given within an appropriate time limit. On 13 October 2023 the Commission asked Greece to provide additional information by 27 October 2023 at the latest.

In the event of late or incomplete answers (3), the initial deadline shall be suspended for the period between the expiry of the time limit set in the request for information, and the receipt of the complete and correct information.

The final deadline will therefore expire after 87 (4) working days after the receipt of the complete and correct information.

(1)  Directive 2014/25/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on procurement by entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors and repealing Directive 2004/17/EC (OJ L 94, 28.3.2014, p. 243).

(2)   OJ C, C/2023/377, 20.10.2023, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/377/oj

(3)  See the second sentence of said Annex IV, paragraph 2.

(4)  Initial number of working days available minus the number of working days between the first working day following the receipt of the request for exemption and the expiration of the deadline for providing the additional information.