Service contract conditions of December 2018  II.16. REDUCTION IN PRICE  II.16.1. Quality standards  Contract number: [ complete ]  If the contractor fails to provide the service in accordance with the contract (‘unperformed  obligations’) or if it fails to provide the service in accordance with the expected quality levels  specified in the tender specifications (‘low quality delivery’), the contracting authority may  reduce or recover payments proportionally to the seriousness of the unperformed obligations  or low quality delivery. This includes in particular cases where the contracting authority  cannot approve a  result , report or deliverable as defined in Article I.5 after the contractor has  submitted the required additional information, correction or new version. A reduction in price may be imposed together with liquidated damages under the conditions  of Article II.15.  II.16.2. Procedure  The contracting authority must  formally notify the contractor of its intention to reduce  payment and the corresponding calculated amount. The contractor has 30 days following the date of receipt to submit observations. Failing that,  the decision becomes enforceable the day after the time limit for submitting observations has  elapsed. If the contractor submits observations, the contracting authority, taking into account the  relevant observations, must  notify  the contractor: (a) of the withdrawal of its intention to reduce payment; or (b) of its final decision to reduce payment and the corresponding amount. II.16.3. Claims and liability  Any reduction in price does not affect the contractor’s actual or potential liability or the  contracting authority’s rights under Article II.18.  II.17. SUSPENSION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CONTRACT  II.17.1. Suspension by the contractor  If the contractor is affected by  force majeure , it may suspend the  performance of the contract .  The contractor must immediately  notify the contracting authority of the suspension. The  notification must include a description of the  force majeure and state when the contractor  expects to resume the  performance of the contract . The contractor must  notify  the contracting authority as soon as it is able to resume  performance of the contract , unless the contracting authority has already terminated the  contract.  II.17.2. Suspension by the contracting authority  The contracting authority may suspend the  performance of the contract  or any part of it:  (a)  if the procedure for awarding the contract or the  performance of the contract  proves to  have been subject to  irregularities, fraud  or  breach of obligations ; 29 