Amendment of Schedule 1 to the European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2004

9.  In Schedule 1, after rule 7, insert—

“Request for information where candidate is relevant citizen of the Union

7A.— (1) This rule applies where the candidate is a relevant citizen of the Union and the Secretary of State has received a copy of a declaration in accordance with rule 7(6).

(2) The Secretary of State must send a notice to the designated contact point in the member State of which the candidate is a national.

(3) The notice referred to in paragraph (2)—

(a) must notify the member State of the declaration made by the candidate under rule 7(4);

(b) must ask whether the candidate has been deprived of the right to stand as a candidate through a relevant disqualifying decision in that member State; and

(c) may request a response by a specified date.

(4) The Secretary of State must send to the returning officer a copy of any response to the notice as soon as practicable after the response is received.”