S.L. 156.1 Art. 4Procedure to apply for a licence.

(1) The Minister shall initiate a procedure for licensing:

(a) by means of a notice inviting applicants, which notice shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union at least ninety (90) days before the closing date for applications. The notice shall specify:

(i) the type of licences available;

(ii) the geographical block or blocks or area or areas for which an application may be made as indicated in the notice;

(iii) the date and time by which an application can be made;

(iv) the application fee, if any;

(v) the fee for a data room visit, if any;

(vi) the place where the application needs to be submitted;

(vii) the proposed date for granting licences;

(viii) the reference to the notice that was published in the Official Journal of the European Union indicating the criteria that shall be applied for evaluating an application; and

(ix) any other information, as may be necessary; or

(b) by means of a notice published in the Official Journal of the European Union indicating which geographical block or blocks or area or areas are available for licensing on a permanent basis. The notice shall also specify:

(i) the type of licences available;

(ii) the application fee, if any;

(iii) the fee for a data room visit, if any;

(iv) the place where an application needs to be submitted;

(v) the reference to the notice that was published in the Official Journal of the European Union indicating the criteria that shall be applied for evaluating an application; and

(vi) any other information, as necessary:

Provided that any significant change in the information published in such a notice, including but not limited to a geographical block or blocks or area or areas that are no longer available for licensing following the grant of a licence or that have become available for licensing following relinquishment or termination of a licence, shall be the subject of an additional notice.

(2) The Minister may decide not to apply the provisions of sub-regulation (1) if and to the extent that geological or production considerations justify the granting of a licence to the licensee for a contiguous area. The Minister shall ensure that the licensees for any other contiguous areas are able to submit applications in such a case and that they are given sufficient time to do so.

(3) The following shall not be considered as a grant of a licence within the meaning of sub-regulation (1):

(a) the granting of a licence solely by reason of a change of name or ownership of an entity holding an existing licence or a change in the composition of the said entity or the transfer of a licence or assignment of rights arising from a licence;

(b) the granting of a licence to an entity having another type of licence where the possession of a latter licence implies a right to the granting of the former licence;

(c) the decision of the Minister, taken within the framework of a licence and relating to the commencement, interruption, extension or cessation of the activities of the licence granted.