1. Qualified trust service providers shall be audited at their own expense at least every 24 months by a conformity assessment body. The audit shall confirm that the qualified trust service providers and the qualified trust services provided by them fulfil the requirements laid down in this Regulation and in Article 21 of Directive (EU) 2022/2555. Qualified trust service providers shall submit the resulting conformity assessment report to the supervisory body within three working days of receipt.

1a. Qualified trust service providers shall inform the supervisory body at the latest one month before any planned audits and shall allow the supervisory body to participate as an observer upon request.

1b. Member States shall, without undue delay, notify to the Commission the names, addresses and accreditation details of the conformity assessment bodies referred to in paragraph 1 and any subsequent changes thereto. The Commission shall make that information available to all Member States.