L 29/26 EN Official Journal of the European Union 4.2.2016 2. Where specific time periods for applications exist, an applicant shall be allowed a reasonable period for the submission of an application. The competent authority shall initiate the processing of an application without undue delay. Where possible, applications should be accepted in electronic format under the same conditions of authenticity as applications submitted in paper format. 3. Authenticated copies should be accepted, where possible, in place of original documents. 4. Each Party shall ensure that the processing of an application, including reaching a final decision, is completed within a reasonable period specified in its legislation or, in any event, without undue delay. Each Party shall endeavour to establish the normal timeframe for the processing of an application. Each Party shall ensure that a licence or an auth­ orisation, once granted, enters into effect without undue delay in accordance with the terms and conditions specified therein. 5. Each Party shall ensure that licensing fees (1) are reasonable in terms of the costs incurred by the competent authority, and do not in themselves restrict the supply of the service or the establishment. 6. Where the competent authority considers that an application is incomplete or determines that it needs additional information, it shall, within a reasonable period of time: (a) inform the applicant; (b) to the extent practicable, identify the information required; and (c) to the extent practicable, provide the opportunity to correct deficiencies. 7. If the competent authority rejects an application, it shall inform the applicant without undue delay and, to the extent practicable, in writing. The competent authority should inform the applicant, upon request, of the reasons for rejection of the application and, where possible, of any deficiencies that have been identified. It should inform the applicant of the procedures for appeal against the decision in accordance with the relevant legislation. The competent authority should permit an applicant to submit a new application in accordance with the relevant authority's established procedures, except where the relevant authority limits the number of licences or qualification determinations. 8. Each Party shall ensure that the procedures used by, and the decisions of, the competent authority in the licensing or authorisation procedure are impartial with respect to all applicants. The competent authority should reach its decision in an independent manner and not be accountable to any services supplier or investor for which the licence or authorisation is required. S ect i on 5 S ect or sp ec if ic p rovisio ns Article 54 International maritime transport 1. This Article sets out the principles for the liberalisation of international maritime transport services. This Article is without prejudice to the rights and obligations deriving from each Party's GATS commitments. 2. For the purposes of this Article, ‘international maritime transport’ includes door to door and multi-modal transport operations, which is the carriage of goods using more than one mode of transport, involving a sea leg, under a single transport document and, to this effect, including the right of international maritime transport suppliers to directly contract with providers of other modes of transport. 3. With respect to activities referred to in paragraph 4, undertaken by shipping agencies for the provision of services with regards to international maritime transport, each Party shall permit juridical persons of the other Party to establish subsidiaries or branches in its territory, under conditions of establishment and operation no less favourable than those accorded to its own subsidiaries or branches or to subsidiaries or branches of any third country, whichever are the better. (1) Licensing fees do not include fees for the use of natural resources, payments for auction, tendering or other non-discriminatory means of awarding concessions, or mandated contributions to universal service provision.