Article 3 Composition — Appointment

The members of the group shall be appointed by the Director-General of Directorate General Justice, Freedom and Security of the European Commission from among specialists with competence in the areas of violent radicalisation and terrorism. Such competence must include experience deriving from academic research and published work.

The group shall be composed of a maximum of 20 members.

The following provisions shall apply:

• the members are appointed in a personal capacity and are required to advise the Commission independently of any outside influence,

• members of the group are appointed for a one year mandate which may be renewed by the Commission. They shall remain in office until such time as they resign, are replaced or their mandate ends,

• members who are no longer able to contribute effectively to the group’s deliberations, who resign or who do not respect the conditions set out in the first or second indent of this paragraph or Article 287 of the Treaty establishing the European Community may be replaced for the remaining period of their mandate,

• members shall each year sign an undertaking to act in the public interest and a declaration indicating the absence or existence of any interest which may undermine their objectivity.