1. The Executive Director shall be appointed and dismissed by the Administrative Board. The appointment shall be made for a period of five years on grounds of merit and documented administrative and managerial competence, as well as documented experience in the fields referred to in Article 1 after hearing the opinion of the observer as referred to in Article 10. The Executive Director shall be appointed from a list of at least three candidates proposed by the Commission after an open competition, following publication of the post in the Official Journal of the European Union , and elsewhere, of a call for expression of interest. The candidate selected by the Administrative Board may be invited to make a statement before the competent committee of the European Parliament and answer questions put by its members. The Administrative Board shall deliberate on dismissal at the request of the Commission or of one third of its members. The Administrative Board shall take its decisions on appointment or dismissal by a four-fifths majority of all members with the right to vote.
2. The Administrative Board, acting on a proposal from the Commission, taking into account the evaluation report may extend once the term of office of the Executive Director for not more than four years. The Administrative Board shall take its decision by a four-fifths majority of all members with the right to vote. The Administrative Board shall inform the European Parliament about its intention to extend the Executive Director’s term of office. Within a month before the extension of his/her term of office, the Executive Director may be invited to make a statement before the competent committee of the European Parliament and answer questions put by its members. If the term of office is not extended, the Executive Director shall remain in office until the appointment of his/her successor.
3. The Executive Director may be assisted by one or more Heads of Department. If the Executive Director is absent or indisposed, one of the Heads of Department shall take his/her place.
4. The Heads of Department shall be appointed on grounds of merit and documented administrative and managerial skills, as well as professional competence and experience in the fields referred to in Article 1. The Heads of Department shall be appointed or dismissed by the Executive Director after having received a positive opinion of the Administrative Board.]