Article 4 Legal status, local officesF1

The Agency shall be a body of the Union. It shall have legal personality.

In each of the Member States, the Agency shall enjoy the most extensive legal capacity accorded to legal persons under the law. It may, in particular, acquire or dispose of movable and immovable property and be a party to legal proceedings.

The Agency may decide to establish local offices in the Member States, subject to their consent, or in third countries participating in the work of the Agency, in accordance with Article 23.

The choice of the location of those offices shall be made on the basis of objective criteria defined to ensure the Agency’s smooth operation.

The provisions relating to the installation and operation of the Agency in the host Member States and host third countries and those relating to advantages accorded by them to the Executive Director, to members of the Administrative Board and the Security Accreditation Board and to Agency staff and members of their families are subject to specific arrangements made by the Agency with those Member States and countries. The specific arrangements shall be approved by the Administrative Board.

The host Member States and host third countries shall provide, through the specific arrangements referred to in paragraph 4, the necessary conditions for the smooth operation of the Agency.

Subject to point (f) of Article 11a(1), the Agency shall be represented by its Executive Director.