Operation
Article 7
1. DG AGRI shall provide secretarial services. 2. The group shall act at the request of the Chairperson in consultation with other relevant Commission services, in compliance with the horizontal rules. 3. The group shall meet at the request of DG AGRI in consultation with other relevant Commission services, in compliance with the horizontal rules. 4. In principle, the group shall meet between two and six times a year. The chair may convene the group for additional meetings when urgent advice is needed. 5. Meetings of the group shall, in principle, be held on Commission premises or virtually, depending on the circumstances. 6. Commission officials with an interest in the proceedings may attend meetings of the group. 7. In agreement with DG AGRI, the group may, by simple majority of its members, decide that deliberations shall be public. 8. Minutes on the discussion on each point on the agenda and on the opinions delivered by the group shall be meaningful and complete. Minutes shall be drafted by the secretariat under the responsibility of the Chair. 9. As far as possible, the group shall adopt its opinions, recommendations and reports by consensus. In the event of a vote, the outcome of the vote shall be decided by simple majority of the members. Members who have voted against or abstained shall have the right to have a document summarising the reasons for their position annexed to the opinions, recommendations or reports.