1. The technical specifications as defined in point 1 of Annex III shall be set out in the contract documentation (contract notices, contract documents, descriptive documents or supporting documents).

2. Technical specifications shall afford equal access for tenderers and shall not have the effect of creating unjustified obstacles to the opening up of procurement to competition.

3. Without prejudice to either compulsory national technical rules (including those related to product safety) or the technical requirements to be met by the Member State under international standardisation agreements in order to guarantee the interoperability required by those agreements, and provided they are compatible with Community law, technical specifications shall be drawn up:

(a) either by reference to technical specifications defined in Annex III and, in order of preference, to:

- national civil standards transposing European standards,

- European technical approvals,

- common civil technical specifications,

- national civil standards transposing international standards,

- other international civil standards,