1. Before a decision is taken by the determining authority on the merits of an application for international protection, the applicant shall be given the opportunity of a personal interview on the substance of his or her application (the ‘substantive interview’). The substantive interview may be conducted at the same time as the admissibility interview provided the applicant has been informed of such a possibility in advance and has been able to consult with his or her legal adviser in accordance with Article 15 or with a person entrusted with providing legal counselling in accordance with Article 16.
2. In the substantive interview, the applicant shall be given the opportunity to present the elements needed to substantiate his or her application in accordance with , and he or she shall provide the elements referred to in Article 4(2) of that Regulation as completely as possible. The applicant shall be given the opportunity to provide an explanation regarding elements which might be missing or any inconsistencies or contradictions in his or her statements.
Correlation table
| Directive 2013/32/EU | This Regulation |
| Article 14(1), first subparagraph | Article 12(1) |
| Article 16 | Article 12(2) |