The Commission may impose fines or periodic penalty payments on undertakings which  evade their obligations under decisions taken in pursuance of this Article or which knowingly  furnish false information. The maximum amount of such fines shall be 1% of the annual  turnover, and the maximum amount of such penalty payments shall be 5% of the average  daily turnover for each day's delay.

Any breach of professional secrecy by the commission, which has caused damage to an  undertaking, may be the subject of an action for compensation before the Court, as provided  in Article 40.

Article 48

The right of undertakings to form associations shall not be affected by this Treaty. Membership of such associations must be voluntary. Associations may engage in any activity,  which is not contrary to the provisions of this Treaty, or to the decisions or recommendations  of the Commission.

Where this Treaty requires the Consultative Committee to be consulted, any association shall  have the right to submit to the Commission, within such time as the latter may set, the  comments of its members on the proposed course of action.

To obtain information which it requires, or to facilitate the performance of the tasks entrusted  to it, the Commission shall normally call upon producers' associations on condition either that  they provide for accredited representatives of workers and consumers to sit on their governing  bodies or on advisory committees attached to them, or that they make satisfactory provision in  some other way in their organization for the interests of workers and consumers to be voiced.

The associations referred to in the preceding paragraphs shall furnish the Commission with such information on their activities, as it may consider necessary. The comments referred to in  the second paragraph of this Article and the information furnished in pursuance of this  paragraph shall also be forwarded by those associations to the government concerned.

CHAPTER 2

FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

Article 49

The Commission is empowered to procure the funds it requires to carry out its tasks:

• By imposing levies on the production of coal and steel;
• By contracting loans.

It may receive gifts.

a  Article 50

1. The levies are intended to cover:

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