Independence
Article 3
1. Member States shall take measures to ensure that equality bodies are independent and free from external influence, and that they do not seek or take instructions from the government or from any other public or private entity while performing their tasks and exercising their competences. In line with the objectives of this Directive and within the applicable legal framework, equality bodies shall be able to manage their own financial and other resources and to adopt their own decisions with regard to their internal structure, accountability, staffing and organisational matters. 2. Member States shall provide for transparent procedures concerning the selection, appointment, revocation and potential conflicts of interest of the staff of equality bodies holding decision-making or managerial positions, and where applicable members of the governing board, in order to guarantee their competence and independence. 3. Member States shall ensure that equality bodies establish an internal structure that guarantees the independent, and where appropriate impartial, exercise of their competences. 4. Member States shall ensure that the internal structure of multi-mandate bodies guarantees the effective exercise of the equality mandate.