Transitional arrangements
Article 29
1. The term of office of the members of the Management Board of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (the Centre) shall terminate on 28 February 2007. 2. With regard to the appointment of the Management Board: (a) the Commission shall take the necessary measures without delay after the entry into force of this Regulation to ensure that the Management Board established in accordance with Article 12 starts its work in due course; (b) within four months from the date of entry into force of this Regulation the Member States shall notify the Commission of the names of the persons whom they have appointed as member and alternate member of the Management Board, in accordance with Article 12(1) and (2). After the expiry of this period, the Commission shall convene the Management Board, provided that at least 17 members have been appointed. In such a case and by way of derogation from Article 12(8), the decisions of the Management Board shall be taken by a two thirds majority of the votes of the appointed members. Once 23 members of the Management Board have been appointed, Article 12(8) shall apply; (c) in the first meeting of the Management Board, after all appointments have been completed, the Commission shall choose by lot 15 members of the Management Board, whose duties are to end, by way of derogation from Article 12(4), upon expiry of the first three years of their term of office. 3. The parties concerned shall start the procedure for appointing a Director of the Agency as provided for in Article 15(1) without delay after the entry into force of this Regulation. 4. Pending the establishment of the Management Board in accordance with paragraph 2(b) and Article 12(1) and (2), the Commission shall convene an interim Management Board consisting of the persons, currently appointed by the Member States, the Council of Europe and the Commission to the Management Board of the Centre on the basis of Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 1035/97. The interim Management Board shall have the mandate to: (a) issue an opinion on a proposal from the Commission concerning the text of the call for candidates for the post of Director in accordance with Article 15(1) in order to start the selection procedure; (b) appoint, acting on a proposal from the Commission, an interim Director or extend the current term of the Director of the Centre for the shortest possible period, during the appointment procedure referred to in paragraph 3; (c) adopt the Agency's budget for the year 2007 in accordance with Article 20(9) and a draft budget for year 2008 in accordance with Article 20(5); and (d) adopt the annual report on the Centre's own activities for 2006, in accordance with Article 12(6)(b). 5. Until the first Multiannual Framework for the Agency has been adopted in accordance with Article 5(1), the Agency shall carry out its tasks in the thematic areas of the fight against racism, xenophobia and related intolerance referred to in Article 5(2)(b), without prejudice to the second sentence of Article 5(3).