1. Without prejudice to Article 12, contracting authorities from different Member States may act jointly in the award of public contracts by using one of the means provided for in this Article.

Contracting authorities shall not use the means provided in this Article for the purpose of avoiding the application of mandatory public law provisions in conformity with Union law to which they are subject in their Member State.

2. A Member State shall not prohibit its contracting authorities from using centralised purchasing activities offered by central purchasing bodies located in another Member State.

In respect of centralised purchasing activities offered by a central purchasing body located in another Member State than the contracting authority, Member States may, however, choose to specify that their contracting authorities may only use the centralised purchasing activities as defined in either point (a) or in point (b) of point (14) of Article 2(1).

3. The provision of centralised purchasing activities by a central purchasing body located in another Member State shall be conducted in accordance with the national provisions of the Member State where the central purchasing body is located.