Contract number: [ complete ]  Contract conditions of December 2015  For the purpose of this contract, the following definitions (indicated in  italics  in the text)  apply:  ‘Back office’ : the internal system(s) used by the parties to process electronic invoices; ‘Confidential information or document’ : any information or document received by  either party from the other or accessed by either party in the context of the  performance of  the contract , that any of the parties has identified in writing as confidential. It may not  include information that is publicly available;  ‘Conflict of interest’ : a situation where the impartial and objective  performance of the  contract by the contractor is compromised for reasons involving family, emotional life,  political or national affinity, economic interest, or any other shared interest with the  contracting authority or any third party related to the subject matter of the contract;  ‘EDI message’  (electronic data interchange): a message created and exchanged through  the electronic transfer, from computer to computer, of commercial and administrative data  using an agreed standard;  ‘e-PRIOR’ : the service-oriented communication platform that provides a series of web  services and allows the exchange of standardised electronic messages and documents  between the parties. This is done either through web services, with a machine-to-machine  connection between the parties’  back office systems ( EDI messages ), or through a web  application (the s upplier portal ). The Platform may be used to exchange electronic  documents (e-documents) such as electronic  requests for supplies , electronic specific  contracts, and electronic delivery of the certificate of conformity or electronic invoices  between the parties. Technical specifications (i.e. the  interface control document ), details  on  access  and  user  manuals  are  available  at  the  following  website:  http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/informatics/supplier_portal/documentation/documentation_en.htm ‘Force majeure’ : any unforeseeable, exceptional situation or event beyond the control of  the parties that prevents either of them from fulfilling any of their obligations under the  contract. The situation or event must not be attributable to error or negligence on the part  of the parties or on the part of the subcontractors and must prove to be inevitable despite  their exercising due diligence. Defaults, defects in equipment or material or delays in  making them available, labour disputes, strikes and financial difficulties may not be  invoked as  force majeure , unless they stem directly from a relevant case of  force majeure ; ‘Formal notification’  (or ‘formally notify’): form of communication between the parties  made in writing by mail or email, which provides the sender with compelling evidence  that the message was delivered to the specified recipient; ‘Fraud’:  any intentional act or omission affecting the Union’s and Community’s financial  interests relating to the use or presentation of false, incorrect or incomplete statements or  documents or to non-disclosure of information in violation of a specific obligation; ‘Interface control document’ : the guideline document which lays down the technical  specifications, message standards, security standards, checks of syntax and semantics, etc.  to facilitate machine-to-machine connection. This document is updated on a regular basis; 11  II GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR THE SUPPLIES CONTRACT  II.1. DEFINITIONS 