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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Dear Partners,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">We would like to inform you of the following communication received from the Chips JU.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Due to the holiday period,
<b>the Chips JU Team will be unavailable from 18 December 2025 until 5 January 2026 (both included). During this time, they will not be able to process any
<span lang="EN-US">“</span>authorisation to award<span lang="EN-US">”</span> letters (Annex IV of the Joint Procurement Agreement
<span lang="EN-US">–</span> JPA) submitted within this period.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Chips JU will resume normal operations on Tuesday, 6 January 2026.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Please take this into account in your planning.
<b>As a reminder, the Agreement to Award by the Chips JU must be issued within 10 working days, and this requirement is
<u>mandatory.</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Best regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Noelia<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;page-break-after:avoid"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#001489;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:ES">____________________________<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:CA"><img width="91" height="41" style="width:.95in;height:.425in" id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image002.jpg@01DC7000.0F59B340"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:CA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;line-height:105%;page-break-after:avoid">
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#001489;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:ES">Noelia Cuesta Ronda</span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#001489;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:CA">Pilot Line Financial&Procurement Manager<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:CA">T: +34 93 553 4054<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:CA">E:<span style="color:#001489">
</span><u><span style="color:#0563C1"><a href="mailto:noelia.cuesta@icfo.eu"><span style="color:blue">noelia.cuesta@icfo.eu</span></a></span></u><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:CA">I:
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:ES"><a href="http://www.icfo.eu/"><span lang="ES" style="color:blue;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">www.icfo.eu</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:CA">
</span><span lang="ES" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:CA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:CA">From:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:CA">
VAZQUEZ Clara (Chips JU) <Clara.VazquezJimenez@chips-ju.europa.eu> <br>
<b>Sent:</b> miércoles, 17 de diciembre de 2025 14:59<br>
<b>Cc:</b> D'ELICIO Michele (CHIPS JU) <Michele.DELICIO@chips-ju.europa.eu>; CHICHKOV Anton (Chips JU) <Anton.Chichkov@chips-ju.europa.eu>; IGNACIO Francisco (Chips JU) <Francisco.Ignacio@chips-ju.europa.eu>; FRIBOURG-BLANC Eric (Chips JU) <Eric.Fribourg-Blanc@chips-ju.europa.eu>;
RUCAREANU Simona (Chips JU) <Simona.Rucareanu@chips-ju.europa.eu>; ESPINOZA Huascar (Chips JU) <Huascar.Espinoza@chips-ju.europa.eu><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Holidays - JPA authorisation to award Annex IV<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div style="border:solid #9C6500 1.0pt;padding:2.0pt 2.0pt 2.0pt 2.0pt">
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:#FFEB9C"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#9C6500;background:#FFEB9C;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:CA">CAUTION:</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:#FFEB9C;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:CA">
This email originated from outside the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:CA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Dear National Contracting Authorities,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Due to the holidays, the Chips JU Team will be unavailable from next week.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">For that reason, we wanted to inform you that we will be unable to proceed with any “authorisation to award” letter from Annex IV of the Joint Procurement Agreement (JPA) that is sent
<b>from tomorrow 18/12/2025 and until Monday 5/01/2026, both included</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">We will be able to resume on Tuesday 6/01/2026.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">We thank you for your patience and apologise for the possible inconvenience.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Best regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The Chips JU team<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#242424;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><img border="0" width="117" height="121" style="width:1.2166in;height:1.2583in" id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image001.png@01DC6F62.E0798250" alt="A blue and yellow logo
Description automatically generated"></span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#242424;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<td width="644" colspan="2" style="width:483.25pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;height:137.25pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:2.0pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Roboto Medium";color:#003FB5;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Clara Vazquez Jimenez</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Roboto Medium";color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><br>
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#003399;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Legal Officer
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Roboto;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#003FB5;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Chips Joint Undertaking</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Roboto;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><br>
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Roboto Light";color:#003FB5;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">T:
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Roboto Light";color:#003399;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">+32 2 541 82 46<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:2.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Roboto Light";color:#003399;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Address: Av. de la Toison d’Or 56-60 | Brussels</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Roboto Light";color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Roboto Light";color:#003399;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Post Address: TO 56 05/05 | B-1049 | Brussels<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><i><u><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Roboto Light";color:#003FB5;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Disclaimer </span></u></i></b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Roboto Light";color:#003FB5;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">– this communication is
confidential and is only intended for the use of the individual or entity to which it is directed. The content of this e-mail message does not constitute a commitment of Chips Joint Undertaking. This e-mail and any attachments transmitted with it are intended
solely for the use of the addressee(s). If you are not the intended recipient, please destroy all copies and notify the sender. If you should not retain the message or disclose its contents to anyone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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