Division 1 Member States shall require the operator or owner to ensure the following conditions are fulfilled with regard to the verifier’s independence from the operator and the owner:

the function does not require the independent verifier to consider any aspect of a safety and environmental critical element or any part of an installation or a well or a well design in which the verifier was previously involved prior to the verification activity or where his or her objectivity might be compromised;

the independent verifier is sufficiently independent of a management system which has, or has had, any responsibility for any aspect of a component covered by the scheme for independent verification or well examination so as to ensure objectivity in carrying out his or her functions under the scheme.