Article 14 Scientific Committee

The Scientific Committee shall be composed of eleven independent persons, highly qualified in the field of fundamental rights. The Management Board shall appoint the members following a transparent call for applications and selection procedure after having consulted the competent committee of the European Parliament. The Management Board shall ensure even geographical representation. The members of the Management Board shall not be members of the Scientific Committee. The rules of procedure referred to in Article 12(6)(g) shall lay down the detailed conditions governing the appointment of the Scientific Committee.

The term of office of the members of the Scientific Committee shall be five years. It shall not be renewable.

The members of the Scientific Committee shall be independent. They may be replaced only at their own request, or in the event of their being permanently prevented from fulfilling their duties. However, where a member no longer meets the criteria of independence, he or she shall forthwith inform the Commission and the Director of the Agency. Alternatively the Management Board may declare, on a proposal of one third of its members or of the Commission, a lack of independence and revoke the person concerned. The Management Board shall appoint a new member for the remaining term of office in accordance with the procedure for ordinary members. Where the remaining term of office is less than two years, the mandate of the new member may be extended for a full term of five years. The list of members of the Scientific Committee shall be made public and shall be updated by the Agency on its web site.

The Scientific Committee shall elect its Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson for a term of office of one year.

The Scientific Committee shall be the guarantor of the scientific quality of the Agency's work, guiding the work to that effect. For that purpose, the Director shall involve the Scientific Committee as early as appropriate in the preparation of all documents drawn up in accordance with Article 4(1) (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), and (h).

The Scientific Committee shall pronounce itself by two thirds majority. It shall be convened by its Chairperson four times per year. If necessary, the Chairperson shall launch a written procedure or shall convene extraordinary meetings on his or her own initiative or at the request of at least four members of the Scientific Committee.