A party to the proceedings has the right to appeal against the decision of the administrative authority. The appeal shall be lodged with the administrative authority which issued the contested decision. The appeal must be lodged within 15 days from the date of notification (delivery) of the decision.
If, as a result of incorrect instructions entered into the decision or because he was not informed at all, a party to the proceedings lodges an appeal after the time-limit, he or she shall be deemed to have lodged it in time if he does so not later than 3 months from the date of notification of the decision.
A party may withdraw an appeal pending the determination of the appeal. If a party has withdrawn an appeal, he or she may not appeal again. An appeal lodged in time shall have suspensive effect.
The administrative authority which issued the contested decision may itself decide on the appeal if it upholds the appeal in its entirety and if the decision does not concern a party other than the appellant or if the other parties to the proceedings agree to it.
If the administrative authority which issued the contested decision does not decide on the appeal, it shall, together with the results of the supplemented proceedings and the case-file, submit the appeal to the appellate authority within 30 days of the date on which the appeal was lodged with it and shall inform the party concerned thereof.
Unless otherwise provided for by a specific law, the administrative authority of the next higher level above the administrative authority which issued the contested decision shall be the appellate authority.
The appellate authority shall examine the contested decision in its entirety; if necessary, it shall supplement the previous proceedings or, where appropriate, remedy the defects found.
If there are grounds for doing so, the appellate body shall amend or annul the decision, otherwise it shall dismiss the appeal and uphold the decision.
The appellate authority shall annul the decision and refer the case back to the administrative authority which issued it for a new hearing and decision, if this is preferable, in particular for reasons of speed or economy; the administrative authority shall be bound by the legal opinion of the appellate authority.
No further appeal shall lie against the decision of the appeal body on the appeal.