1. The Commission may, after consulting the Committee set up by Article 5 of Directive 98/34/EC, request the body recognised under Article 14 to contribute to the development, maintenance and implementation of accreditation in the Community.
2. The Commission may also, following the procedure laid down in paragraph 1:
(a) request the body recognised under Article 14 to lay down evaluation criteria and procedures for peer evaluation and to develop sectoral accreditation schemes;
(b) accept any existing scheme that already lays down evaluation criteria and procedures for peer evaluation.
3. The Commission shall ensure that sectoral schemes identify the technical specifications necessary to meet the level of competence required by Community harmonisation legislation in fields with specific requirements relating to technology, health and safety or environment related requirements or any other aspect of public interest protection.