Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

CHAPTER II U.K. INTERNAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONING

Article 5 U.K. Legal status, regional centres

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

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

3. At the request of the Commission, the Administrative Board may decide, with the agreement of the Member States concerned, to establish the regional centres necessary in order to carry out tasks related to the monitoring of navigation and maritime traffic, as provided for in Directive 2002/59/EC.

4. The Agency shall be represented by its Executive Director.

Article 6 U.K. Staff

1. The Staff Regulations of officials of the European Communities, the Conditions of employment of other servants of the European Communities and the rules adopted jointly by the institutions of the European Communities for the purposes of the application of those Staff Regulations and conditions of Employment shall apply to the staff of the Agency. The Administrative Board, in agreement with the Commission, shall adopt the necessary detailed rules of application.

2. Without prejudice to Article 16, the powers conferred on the appointing authority by the Staff Regulations and the Conditions of employment of other servants shall be exercised by the Agency in respect of its own staff.

3. The Agency's staff shall consist of officials assigned or seconded by the Commission or Member States on a temporary basis and of other servants recruited by the Agency as necessary to carry out its tasks.

Article 7 U.K. Privileges and immunities

The Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Communities shall apply to the Agency and to its staff.

Article 8 U.K. Liability

1. The contractual liability of the Agency shall be governed by the law applicable to the contract in question.

2. The Court of Justice shall have jurisdiction to give judgment pursuant to any arbitration clause contained in a contract concluded by the Agency.

3. In the case of non-contractual liability, the Agency shall, in accordance with the general principles common to the laws of the Member States, make good any damage caused by its departments or by its servants in the performance of their duties.

4. The Court of Justice shall have jurisdiction in disputes relating to the compensation for damage referred to in paragraph 3.

5. The personal liability of its servants towards the Agency shall be governed by the provisions laid down in the Staff Regulations or Conditions of employment applicable to them.

Article 9 U.K. Languages

1. The provisions laid down in Regulation No 1 of 15 April 1958 determining the languages to be used in the European Economic Community(1) shall apply to the Agency.

2. The translation services required for the functioning of the Agency shall be provided by the Translation Centre of the bodies of the European Union.

Article 10 U.K. Creation and powers of the Administrative Board

1. An Administrative Board is hereby set up.

2. The Administrative Board shall:

(a) appoint the Executive Director pursuant to Article 16;

[F1 (b) shall adopt the annual report on the Agency's activities and forward it by 15 June at the latest to the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission, the Court of Auditors and the Member States.

The Agency shall annually forward to the budgetary authority all information relevant to the outcome of the evaluation procedures;]

(c) examine, in the framework of the preparation of the work programme, requests from Member States for technical assistance, as referred to in Article 2(c)(ii);

[F2 (d) adopt, by 30 November each year, and taking the opinion of the Commission into account, the work programme of the Agency for the coming year and forward it to the Member States, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission; this work programme shall be adopted without prejudice to the annual Community budgetary procedure. In the event that the Commission expresses, within 15 days from the date of adoption of the work programme, its disagreement with the said programme, the Administrative Board shall re-examine the programme and adopt it, possibly amended, within a period of two months, in second reading either with a two-thirds majority, including the Commission representatives, or by unanimity of the representatives of the Member States;]

(e) adopt the final budget of the Agency before the beginning of the financial year, adjusting it, where necessary, according to the Community contribution and any other revenue of the Agency;

(f) establish procedures for decision-making by the Executive Director;

(g) define a policy for the visits to be carried out pursuant to Article 3;

(h) perform its duties in relation to the Agency's budget pursuant to Articles 18, 19 and 21;

(i) exercise disciplinary authority over the Executive Director and the heads of unit referred to in Article 15(3);

(j) establish its rules of procedure[F2 ;]

[F3 (k) adopt, following the procedures set out in (d), a detailed plan for the Agency's pollution preparedness and response activities, aiming at the optimum use of the financial means available to the Agency;]

[F4 (l) review the financial execution of the detailed plan referred to in (k) and the budgetary commitments provided for in Regulation (EC) No 2038/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on multiannual funding for the action of the European Maritime Safety Agency in the field of response to pollution caused by ships (2) on the basis of the report provided for in Article 15(2)(g) of this Regulation. This review shall be carried out when the statement of estimates of the Agency's revenue and expenditure for the following financial year are produced, as provided for in Article 18(5) of this Regulation.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Substituted by Regulation (EC) No 1644/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2003 amending Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency.

F2 Substituted by Regulation (EC) No 724/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency (Text with EEA relevance).

F3 Inserted by Regulation (EC) No 724/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency (Text with EEA relevance).

F4 Inserted by Regulation (EC) No 2038/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on multiannual funding for the action of the European Maritime Safety Agency in the field of response to pollution caused by ships and amending Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 (Text with EEA relevance).

Article 11 U.K. Composition of the Administrative Board

1. The Administrative Board shall be composed of one representative of each Member State and four representatives of the Commission, as well as of four professionals from the sectors most concerned, nominated by the Commission, without the right to vote.

[F2 Board members shall be appointed on the basis of their degree of relevant experience and expertise in the field of maritime safety, maritime security, prevention of pollution and response to pollution caused by ships.]

2. Each Member State and the Commission shall appoint their members of the Administrative Board as well as an alternate who will represent the member in his/her absence.

3. The duration of the term of office shall be five years. The term of office may be renewed once.

4. When appropriate, the participation of representatives of third countries and the conditions thereof shall be established in the arrangements referred to in Article 17(2).

Textual Amendments

F2 Substituted by Regulation (EC) No 724/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency (Text with EEA relevance).

Article 12 U.K. Chairmanship of the Administrative Board

1. The Administrative Board shall elect a Chairperson and a Deputy-Chairperson from among its members. The Deputy Chairperson shall automatically take the place of the Chairperson if he/she is prevented from attending to his/her duties.

2. The terms of office of the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson shall be three years and shall expire when they cease to be members of the Administrative Board. The terms of office shall be renewable once.

Article 13 U.K. Meetings

1. The meetings of the Administrative Board shall be convened by its Chairperson.

2. The Executive Director of the Agency shall take part in the deliberations.

3. The Administrative Board shall hold an ordinary meeting twice a year. In addition, it shall meet on the initiative of the Chairperson or at the request of the Commission or of one-third of the Member States.

4. When there is a matter of confidentiality or conflict of interest, the Administrative Board may decide to examine specific items of its agenda without the presence of the members nominated in their capacity as professionals from the sectors most concerned. Detailed rules for the application of this provision may be laid down in the rules of procedure.

5. The Administrative Board may invite any person whose opinion can be of interest to attend its meetings as an observer.

6. The members of the Administrative Board may, subject to the provisions of its rules of procedure, be assisted by advisers or experts.

7. The secretariat for the Administrative Board shall be provided by the Agency.

Article 14 U.K. Voting

1. The Administrative Board shall take its decisions by a two-thirds majority of all members with the right to vote.

2. Each member shall have one vote. The Executive Director of the Agency shall not vote.

In the absence of a member, his/her alternate shall be entitled to exercise his/her right to vote.

3. The rules of procedure shall establish the more detailed voting arrangements, in particular, the conditions for a member to act on behalf of another member.

Article 15 U.K. Duties and powers of the Executive Director

1. The Agency shall be managed by its Executive Director, who shall be completely independent in the performance of his/her duties, without prejudice to the respective competencies of the Commission and the Administrative Board.

2. The Executive Director shall have the following duties and powers:

[F2 (a) he/she shall prepare the work programme and the detailed plan for the Agency's pollution preparedness and response activities, and submit them to the Administrative Board after consultation of the Commission. He/she shall take the necessary steps for their implementation. He/she shall respond to any requests for assistance from the Commission or from a Member State in accordance with Article 10(2)(c). For information purposes, he/she shall transmit the plan to the Committee established by Article 4 of Decision No 2850/2000/EC as well as to the Committee referred to in Article 9 of Decision 2001/792/EC, Euratom;]

(b) he/she shall decide to carry out the visits provided for in Article 3, after consultation of the Commission and following the policy established by the Administrative Board according to Article 10(2)(g);

(c) he/she shall take all necessary steps, including the adoption of internal administrative instructions and the publication of notices, to ensure the functioning of the Agency in accordance with the provisions of this Regulation;

(d) he/she shall organise an effective monitoring system in order to be able to compare the Agency's achievements with its operational objectives. On this basis the Executive Director shall prepare a draft general report each year and submit it to the Administrative Board. He/she shall establish regular evaluation procedures that meet recognised professional standards;

(e) he/she shall exercise, in respect of the staff, the powers laid down in Article 6(2);

(f) he/she shall draw up estimates of the Agency's revenue and expenditure, in accordance with Article 18, and shall implement the budget in accordance with Article 19[F5 ;]

[F4 (g) he/she shall submit a report to the Commission and the Administrative Board, by 31 January each year, concerning the financial execution of the detailed plan for the Agency's pollution preparedness and response activities and give an update of the status of all actions funded under that plan. The Commission shall in turn submit this report for information to the European Parliament, the Committee established by Article 4 of Decision No 2850/2000/EC and the Committee referred to in Article 9 of Decision 2001/792/EC, Euratom.]

3. The Executive Director may be assisted by one or more Heads of Unit. If the Executive Director is absent or indisposed, one of the heads of unit shall take his place.

Textual Amendments

F2 Substituted by Regulation (EC) No 724/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency (Text with EEA relevance).

F4 Inserted by Regulation (EC) No 2038/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on multiannual funding for the action of the European Maritime Safety Agency in the field of response to pollution caused by ships and amending Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 (Text with EEA relevance).

F5 Substituted by Regulation (EC) No 2038/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on multiannual funding for the action of the European Maritime Safety Agency in the field of response to pollution caused by ships and amending Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 (Text with EEA relevance).

Article 16 U.K. Appointment of the Executive Director

[F2 1. The Executive Director of the Agency shall be appointed by the Administrative Board on grounds of merit and documented administrative and managerial skills, as well as competence and experience relevant for maritime safety, maritime security, prevention of pollution and response to pollution caused by ships. The Administrative Board shall take its decision by a four-fifths majority of all members with the right to vote. The Commission may propose a candidate or candidates.]

Power to dismiss the Executive Director shall lie with the Administrative Board, according to the same procedure.

2. The term of office of the Executive Director shall be five years. This term of office is renewable once.

Textual Amendments

F2 Substituted by Regulation (EC) No 724/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency (Text with EEA relevance).

Article 17 U.K. Participation of third countries

[F2 1. The Agency shall be open to the participation of third countries, which have entered into agreements with the European Community, whereby they have adopted and are applying the Community law in the field of maritime safety, maritime security, prevention of pollution and response to pollution caused by ships.]

2. Under the relevant provisions of these agreements, arrangements will be developed which shall, inter alia, specify the nature and the extent of the detailed rules for the participation by these countries in the work of the Agency, including provisions on financial contributions and staff.

Textual Amendments

F2 Substituted by Regulation (EC) No 724/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency (Text with EEA relevance).

(1)

OJ 17, 6.10.1958, p. 385/58. Regulation as last amended by the 1994 Act of Accession.

(2)

[F4 OJ L 394, 30.12.2006, p. 1 ]

Textual Amendments

F4 Inserted by Regulation (EC) No 2038/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on multiannual funding for the action of the European Maritime Safety Agency in the field of response to pollution caused by ships and amending Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 (Text with EEA relevance).