Article 6 Observers

Observers shall participate in the Panel's deliberations without taking part in the adoption of recommendations.

The Commission's Legal Service shall be fully entitled to observer status for each matter submitted to the Panel and shall provide comments on its own initiative or at the request of the Chair. To this end, one of its members shall attend all the Panel's deliberations. The Legal Service shall be informed of all written procedures.

In matters where the request of the referring authority is based, inter alia, on information transmitted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), OLAF's representative shall attend the Panel's meetings and participate in oral and written procedures. He/she may provide comments on his/her own initiative or at the request of the Chair.

In other cases, OLAF may be invited to provide information or advice, at the request of the Chair.

Authorising officers (other than the referring authority) of the Commission, of a European office set up by the Commission, of an executive agency, of another institution, or of another European office, body or agency who are concerned by the case referred to the Panel shall have observer status. These authorising officers may attend the Panel's deliberations, shall be informed of written procedures and shall provide oral and written comments at the request of the Chair.

The Chair, after consulting the permanent members of the Panel, may invite other observers to attend the Panel's deliberations and call on them to provide oral and written comments.