Article 16 — Designation and powers of competent authorities

1. Member States shall designate one or more competent authorities for the application and enforcement of this Regulation. Member States shall inform the Commission, without delay after 16 December 2025, of the names, addresses, and contact details of the competent authorities, and also inform it of any subsequent changes to that information. 2. Member States shall confer on their competent authorities the powers of inspection and enforcement necessary to ensure compliance with this Regulation. 3. The powers of competent authorities as referred to in paragraph 2 shall include at least the following: (a) the power to access any relevant documents, data or information related to an infringement of this Regulation, in any form or format and irrespective of their storage medium, or the place where they are stored, and the power to take or obtain copies thereof; (b) the power to require any natural or legal person to provide any relevant information, data or documents, in any form or format and irrespective of their storage medium, or the place where they are stored, for the purpose of establishing whether an infringement of this Regulation has occurred or is occurring and the details of such infringement; (c) the power to start an inspection on their own initiative to bring about the cessation or prohibition of infringements of this Regulation; and (d) the power to access installations. 4. Competent authorities may use any information, document, finding, statement or intelligence as evidence for the purposes of their environmental inspections and other verification measures, irrespective of the format or medium on which they are stored. 5. Where there is more than one competent authority in their territory, Member States shall ensure that appropriate communication and coordination mechanisms are established.