The operational period shall start at the end of the transition period and its provisions apply to inspection reports generated by authorities listed as equivalent for the inspections performed in their territory.

In addition, when an authority is not listed as equivalent based on adequate experience gained during the transition period, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will accept for normal endorsement (as provided in § 26.12) inspection reports generated as a result of inspections conducted jointly by that authority on its territory and another authority listed as equivalent, provided that the authority of the Member State in which the inspection is performed can guarantee enforcement of the findings of the inspection report and require that corrective measures be taken when necessary. FDA has the option to participate in these inspections, and based on experience gained during the transition period, the parties will agree on procedures for exercising this option.

In the European Community (EC), the qualified person will be relieved of responsibility for carrying the controls laid down in Article 22 paragraph 1(b) of Council Directive 75/319/EEC (see appendix A of this subpart) provided that these controls have been carried out in the United States and that each batch/lot is accompanied by a batch certificate (in accordance with the World Health Organization Certification Scheme on the Quality of Medicinal Products) issued by the manufacturer certifying that the product complies with requirements of the marketing authorization and signed by the person responsible for releasing the batch/lot.