1.For values below the thresholds laid down in Article 170(1), remunerated external experts may be selected on the basis of the procedure laid down in paragraph 2.
2.A call for expressions of interest shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union or where it is necessary to provide publicity among potential candidates, on the internet site of the institution concerned.
The call for expressions of interest shall include a description of the tasks, their duration and the fixed conditions of remuneration. Those conditions may be based on unit prices.
A list of experts shall be drawn up following the call for expressions of interest. It shall be valid for no more than five years from its publication or for the duration of a multiannual programme related to the tasks.
[F13. Any interested natural person may submit an application at any time during the period of validity of the call for expression of interest, with the exception of the last three months of that period.]
4.All exchanges with selected experts, including the conclusion of contracts and any amendments thereto, may be done through electronic exchange systems set up by the institution.
These systems shall meet the following requirements:
(a)only authorised persons may have access to the system and to documents transmitted through it;
(b)only authorised persons may electronically sign or transmit a document through the system;
(c)authorised persons must be identified through the system by established means;
(d)the time and date of the electronic transaction must be determined precisely;
(e)the integrity of documents must be preserved;
(f)the availability of documents must be preserved;
(g)where appropriate, the confidentiality of documents must be preserved;
(h)the protection of personal data in accordance with the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 must be ensured.
Data sent or received through such a system shall enjoy legal presumption of the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the date and time of sending or receiving the data indicated by the system.
A document sent or notified through such a system shall be considered as equivalent to a paper document, shall be admissible as evidence in legal proceedings, shall be deemed to be the original of the document and shall enjoy legal presumption of its authenticity and integrity, provided it does not contain any dynamic features capable of automatically changing it.
The electronic signatures referred to in point (b) of the second subparagraph shall have the equivalent legal effect of handwritten signatures.
5.The list of experts and the subject of the tasks shall be published annually. The remuneration shall be published where it exceeds EUR 15 000 for the task performed.
6.Paragraph 5 shall not apply if such publication risks threatening the rights and freedoms of individuals concerned as protected by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union or harm the commercial interests of experts.
Textual Amendments
F1 Substituted by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2462 of 30 October 2015 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1268/2012 on the rules of application of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union.