Appointment, termination of appointment and dismissal of the Audit Board members
Article 4
1. The Audit Board members shall be appointed by the Commission, following a call for expressions of interest. The term of office of the Audit Board members shall begin on the date fixed for that purpose in the decision on the appointment of the Audit Board members. 2. The Audit Board members shall be citizens of the Union, with a proven track record in the areas of audit, monitoring and control, and/or fighting fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest and irregularities ideally acquired in a senior position in EU institutions or Member States public authority. 3. The Audit Board members shall be appointed as special advisers of the Commission within the meaning of Article 5 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union ( 3 ) , for a term of 2 years. Their contracts shall be renewable and ensure their full independence from any external influence in the exercise of their duties. The Audit Board members shall be security vetted, or if not already vetted, willing to undergo the security vetting by the Member State of their nationality. 4. The selection procedure shall be conducted by the Director-General of DG NEAR with the support of a panel, the members of which the Director-General shall select from the Commission’s Directorates-General most concerned. The panel shall present a list of candidates to the Director-General, based on the results of the call for interests and subsequent interviews. The Director-General shall select the Audit Board members as well as three substitute members to replace an Audit Board member where the Board Member is no longer able or willing to perform his or her tasks. 5. If an Audit Board member no longer fulfils the conditions required for the performance of his or her duties, laid down in this Decision and their contracts, he or she may be dismissed by the Commission. 6. If an Audit Board member is unable to perform his or her duties for a limited amount of time, because of medical or other reasons, the Commission, in consultation with the Audit Board member concerned, may temporarily appoint a substitute member until the Audit Board member concerned is able to resume his or her for the period of his or her inability to perform his or her tasks. 7. The limited amount of time referred to in paragraph 6 shall not exceed 6 months.