Mutual Recognition.

15.4.1

Mutual Recognition.

Subject to the right to appeal provided in Article 13,

Testing, therapeutic use exemptions and hearing results or other final adjudications of any Signatory which are consistent with World Anti-Doping Code 2007 Version 1.0 46 the Code and are within that Signatory's authority, shall be recognized and respected by all other Signatories.

[Comment to Article 15.4.1: There has in the past been some confusion in the interpretation of this Article with regard to therapeutic use exemptions. Unless provided otherwise by the rules of an International Federation or an agreement with an International Federation, National Anti-Doping Organizations do not have "authority" to grant therapeutic use exemptions to International-Level Athletes.]

15.4.2 Signatories shall recognize the same actions of other bodies which have not accepted the Code if the rules of those bodies are otherwise consistent with the Code.
[Comment to Article 15.4.2: Where the decision of a body that has not accepted the Code is in some respects Code compliant and in other respects not Code compliant, Signatories should attempt to apply the decision in harmony with the principles of the Code. For example, if in a process consistent with the Code a non-Signatory has found an Athlete to have committed an anti-doping rule violation on account of the presence of a Prohibited Substance in his body but the period of Ineligibility applied is shorter than the period provided for in the Code, then all Signatories should recognize the finding of an anti-doping rule violation and the Athlete’s National Anti-Doping Organization should conduct a hearing consistent with Article 8 to determine whether the longer period of Ineligibility provided in the Code should be imposed.]