29.7.2006   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 178/19

1.

Does the rule laid down in Article 30(4) of Directive 93/37/EEC (1) or the similar rule contained in Article 55 (1) and (2) of Directive 2004/18/EC (2) (where that is regarded as the relevant provision), that, where tenders appear to be abnormally low in relation to the works, the contracting authority shall, before it may reject those tenders, request, in writing, details of the constituent elements of the tender which it considers relevant and shall verify those constituent elements taking account of the explanations received, constitute a fundamental principle of Community law, such as to transcend the formal bounds set by the value of the contracts mentioned in Article 6 of Directive 93/37/EC and is it, therefore, capable of applying also to contracts when their value does not cross that threshold?

2.

Is the rule established by Article 30(4) of Directive 93/37/EEC or the similar rule contained in Article 55(1) and (2) of Directive 2004/18/EC (where that is regarded as the relevant provision), according to which, if tenders appear to be abnormally low in relation to the works, the contracting authority shall, before it may reject those tenders, request, in writing, details of the constituent elements of the tender which it considers relevant and shall verify those constituent elements taking account of the explanations received, while not presenting the characteristics of a fundamental principle of Community law, nevertheless an implied consequence of or a ‘principle deriving from’ the principle of competition, considered in conjunction with the principles of administrative transparency and non-discrimination on grounds of nationality and is it therefore, as such, directly binding, taking precedence over possibly incompatible national provisions adopted by the Member States to regulate public works contracts to which Community law is not directly applicable?