1.For each rural development programme a Monitoring Committee shall be set up within a maximum of three months following the decision approving the programme.
Each Monitoring Committee shall draw up its rules of procedure within the institutional, legal and financial framework of the Member State concerned and adopt them in agreement with the Managing Authority in order to perform its duties in accordance with this Regulation.
2.Each Monitoring Committee shall be chaired by a representative of the Member State or of the Managing Authority.
Its composition shall be decided by the Member State and shall include the partners referred to in Article 6(1).
At their own initiative, Commission representatives may participate in the work of the Monitoring Committee in an advisory capacity.
3.Member States with regional programmes may establish a national Monitoring Committee to coordinate the implementation of these programmes in relation to the national strategy and the uptake of financial resources.