1.   The European Border and Coast Guard Agency shall be the new name for the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Members States of the European Union established by Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004. Its activities shall be based on this Regulation.

2.   To ensure a coherent European integrated border management, the Agency shall facilitate and render more effective the application of existing and future Union measures relating to the management of the external borders, in particular the Schengen Borders Code established by Regulation (EU) 2016/399.

3.   The Agency shall contribute to the continuous and uniform application of Union law, including the Union acquis on fundamental rights, at all external borders. Its contribution shall include the exchange of good practices.

1.   The Agency shall perform the following tasks with a view to contributing to an efficient, high and uniform level of border control and return:

2.   Member States may continue cooperation at an operational level with other Member States and/or third countries, where such cooperation is compatible with the tasks of the Agency. Member States shall refrain from any activity which could jeopardise the functioning of the Agency or the attainment of its objectives. Member States shall report to the Agency on that operational cooperation with other Member States and/or third countries at the external borders and in the field of return. The executive director shall inform the management board on those matters on a regular basis and at least once a year.

3.   The Agency shall engage in communication activities on its own initiative on matters falling within its mandate. It shall provide the public with accurate and comprehensive information about its activities.

Communication activities shall not be detrimental to the tasks referred to in paragraph 1, in particular by revealing operational information which, if made public, would jeopardise attainment of the objective of operations. Communication activities shall be carried out without prejudice to Article 50 and in accordance with relevant communication and dissemination plans adopted by the management board.

1.   The Agency shall monitor migratory flows towards and within the Union, trends and other possible challenges at the external borders of the Union. For this purpose, the Agency shall, by a decision of the management board based on a proposal of the executive director, establish a common integrated risk analysis model, which shall be applied by the Agency and the Member States. It shall also carry out the vulnerability assessment in accordance with Article 13.

2.   The Agency shall prepare general risk analyses, which shall be submitted to the European Parliament, to the Council and to the Commission in accordance with Article 50, and tailored risk analyses for operational activities.

3.   The risk analysis prepared by the Agency shall cover all aspects relevant to European integrated border management with a view to developing a pre-warning mechanism.

4.   Member States shall provide the Agency with all necessary information regarding the situation, trends and possible threats at the external borders and in the field of return. Member States shall regularly, or upon the request of the Agency, provide it with all relevant information such as statistical and operational data collected in relation to the implementation of the Schengen acquis as well as information from the analysis layer of the national situational picture established in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1052/2013.

5.   The results of the risk analysis shall be submitted in a timely and accurate manner to the management board.

6.   Member States shall take results of the risk analysis into account when planning their operations and activities at the external borders and their activities with regard to return.

7.   The Agency shall incorporate the results of a common integrated risk analysis model in its development of common core curricula for the training of border guards and of staff involved in return-related tasks.

1.   The Agency shall ensure regular monitoring of all Member States' management of the external borders through liaison officers of the Agency.

The Agency may decide that a liaison officer covers up to four Member States which are geographically close to each other.

2.   The executive director shall appoint experts from the staff of the Agency to be deployed as liaison officers. The executive director shall, based on risk analysis and in consultation with the Member States concerned, make a proposal on the nature and terms of the deployment, the Member State or region to which a liaison officer may be deployed and possible tasks not covered by paragraph 3. The proposal from the executive director shall be subject to approval by the management board. The executive director shall notify the Member State concerned of the appointment and shall determine, together with the Member State, the location of deployment.

3.   The liaison officers shall act on behalf of the Agency and their role shall be to foster cooperation and dialogue between the Agency and the national authorities which are responsible for border management and return, including coast guards to the extent that they carry out border control tasks. The liaison officers shall, in particular:

If the liaison officer's reports referred to in point (h) raise concerns about one or more aspects relevant for the Member State concerned, the latter will be informed without delay by the executive director.

4.   For the purposes of paragraph 3, the liaison officer shall, in compliance with the national and Union security and data protection rules:

5.   The report of the liaison officer shall form part of the vulnerability assessment as referred to in Article 13. The report shall be transmitted to the Member State concerned.

6.   In carrying out their duties, the liaison officers shall take instructions only from the Agency.

1.   The Agency shall, by decision of the management board based on a proposal of the executive director, establish a common vulnerability assessment methodology. This shall include objective criteria against which the Agency shall carry out the vulnerability assessment, the frequency of such assessments and how consecutive vulnerability assessments are to be carried out.

2.   The Agency shall monitor and assess the availability of the technical equipment, systems, capabilities, resources, infrastructure, adequately skilled and trained staff of Member States necessary for border control. It shall do so as a preventive measure on the basis of a risk analysis prepared in accordance with Article 11(3). The Agency shall carry out such monitoring and assessment at least once a year, unless the executive director, based on risk assessments or a previous vulnerability assessment, decides otherwise.

3.   Member States shall, at the request of the Agency, provide information as regards technical equipment, staff and to the extent possible, the financial resources available at national level to carry out border control. Member States shall also provide information on their contingency plans on border management at the Agency's request.

4.   The aim of the vulnerability assessment is for the Agency to assess the capacity and readiness of Member States to face upcoming challenges, including present and future threats and challenges at the external borders; to identify, especially for those Member States facing specific and disproportionate challenges, possible immediate consequences at the external borders and subsequent consequences on the functioning of the Schengen area; and to assess their capacity to contribute to the rapid reaction pool referred to in Article 20(5). That assessment is without prejudice to the Schengen evaluation mechanism.

In this assessment, the Agency shall take into account Member States' capacity to carry out all border management tasks, including their capacity to deal with the potential arrival of large numbers of persons on their territory.

5.   The results of the vulnerability assessment shall be submitted to the Member States concerned. The Member States concerned may comment on that assessment.

6.   When necessary the executive director shall, in consultation with the Member State concerned, make a recommendation setting out the necessary measures to be taken by the Member State concerned and the time limit within which such measures shall be implemented. The executive director shall invite the Member States concerned to take the necessary measures.

7.   The executive director shall base the measures to be recommended to the Member States concerned on the results of the vulnerability assessment, taking into account the Agency's risk analysis, the comments of the Member State concerned and the results of the Schengen evaluation mechanism.

These measures should be aimed at eliminating the vulnerabilities identified in the assessment in order for Member States to increase their readiness to face upcoming challenges by enhancing or improving their capabilities, technical equipment, systems, resources and contingency plans.

8.   Where a Member State does not implement the necessary measures of the recommendation within the time limit referred to in paragraph 6 of this Article, the executive director shall refer the matter to the management board and notify the Commission. The management board shall adopt a decision on a proposal of the executive director setting out the necessary measures to be taken by the Member State concerned and the time limit within which such measures shall be implemented. The decision of the management board shall be binding on the Member State. If the Member State does not implement the measures within the time limit foreseen in that decision, the management board shall notify the Council and the Commission and further action may be taken in accordance with Article 19.

9.   The results of the vulnerability assessment shall be transmitted, in accordance with Article 50, on a regular basis and at least once a year to the European Parliament, to the Council and to the Commission.

1.   A Member State may request the Agency's assistance in implementing its obligations with regard to the control of the external borders. The Agency shall also carry out measures in accordance with Article 19.

2.   The Agency shall organise the appropriate technical and operational assistance for the host Member State and it may, acting in accordance with the relevant Union and international law, including the principle of non-refoulement, take one or more of the following measures:

3.   The Agency shall finance or co-finance the activities referred to in paragraph 2 from its budget in accordance with the financial rules applicable to the Agency.

4.   If the Agency has substantial additional financial needs due to a situation at the external borders, it shall inform the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission thereof without delay.

1.   A Member State may request that the Agency launch joint operations to face upcoming challenges, including illegal immigration, present or future threats at its external borders or cross-border crime, or to provide increased technical and operational assistance when implementing its obligations with regard to the control of the external borders.

2.   At the request of a Member State faced with a situation of specific and disproportionate challenges, especially the arrival at points of the external borders of large numbers of third-country nationals trying to enter the territory of that Member State without authorisation, the Agency may deploy a rapid border intervention for a limited period of time on the territory of that host Member State.

3.   The executive director shall evaluate, approve and coordinate proposals for joint operations made by Member States. Joint operations and rapid border interventions shall be preceded by a thorough, reliable and up-to-date risk analysis, thereby enabling the Agency to set an order of priority for the proposed joint operations and rapid border interventions, taking into account the impact on external border sections in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1052/2013 and the availability of resources.

4.   The executive director shall, based on the results of the vulnerability assessment, and taking into account the Agency's risk analysis and the analysis layer of the European situational picture established in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1052/2013, recommend to the Member State concerned to initiate and carry out joint operations or rapid border interventions. The Agency shall put its technical equipment at the disposal of the host or participating Member States.

5.   The objectives of a joint operation or rapid border intervention may be achieved as part of a multipurpose operation. Such operations may involve coast guard functions and the prevention of cross-border crime, including the fight against migrant smuggling or trafficking in human beings, and migration management, including identification, registration, debriefing and return.

1.   In preparation of a joint operation the executive director, in cooperation with the host Member State, shall draw up a list of technical equipment and staff needed taking into account the host Member State's available resources. On the basis of those elements, the Agency shall define a package of technical and operational reinforcement as well as capacity-building activities to be included in the operational plan.

2.   The executive director shall draw up an operational plan for joint operations at the external borders. The executive director and the host Member State, in consultation with the participating Member States, shall agree on the operational plan detailing the organisational and procedural aspects of the joint operation.

3.   The operational plan shall be binding on the Agency, the host Member State and the participating Member States. It shall cover all aspects considered necessary for carrying out the joint operation, including the following:

4.   Any amendments to or adaptations of the operational plan shall require the agreement of the executive director and the host Member State, after consultation of the participating Member States. A copy of the amended or adapted operational plan shall immediately be sent by the Agency to the participating Member States.

1.   A request by a Member State to launch a rapid border intervention shall include a description of the situation, possible aims and envisaged needs. If required, the executive director may immediately send experts from the Agency to assess the situation at the external borders of the Member State concerned.

2.   The executive director shall immediately inform the management board of a Member State's request to launch a rapid border intervention.

3.   When deciding on the request of a Member State, the executive director shall take into account the findings of the Agency's risk analyses and the analysis layer of the European situational picture established in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1052/2013 as well as the outcome of the vulnerability assessment referred to in Article 13 and any other relevant information provided by the Member State concerned or another Member State.

4.   The executive director shall take a decision on the request to launch a rapid border intervention within two working days from the date of receipt of the request. The executive director shall simultaneously notify the Member State concerned and the management board in writing of the decision. The decision shall state the main reasons on which it is based.

5.   If the executive director decides to launch a rapid border intervention, he or she shall deploy European Border and Coast Guard teams from the rapid reaction pool in accordance with Article 20(5) and the rapid reaction equipment pool in accordance with Article 39(7), and where necessary, he or she shall decide on the immediate reinforcement by one or more European Border and Coast Guard teams, in accordance with Article 20(8).

6.   The executive director together with the host Member State shall draw up an operational plan as referred to in Article 16(3) immediately and, in any event, no later than three working days from the date of the decision.

7.   As soon as the operational plan has been agreed upon and provided to the Member States, the executive director shall request in writing the Member States to immediately deploy the border guards or other relevant staff that form part of the rapid reaction pool. The executive director shall indicate the profiles and numbers of border guards or other relevant staff, required from each Member State from among those identified in the rapid reaction pool.

8.   In parallel to the deployment referred to in paragraph 7, and where necessary, to secure the immediate reinforcement of the European Border and Coast Guard teams deployed from the rapid reaction pool, the executive director shall inform the Member States of the requested number and profiles of border guards or other relevant staff which are to be additionally deployed. This information shall be provided in writing to the national contact points and shall indicate the date on which the deployment is to take place. A copy of the operational plan shall also be provided to them.

9.   Member States shall ensure that the number and profiles of the border guards or other relevant staff assigned to the rapid reaction pool are immediately made available to the Agency to guarantee a complete deployment in accordance with Article 20(5) and (7). Member States shall also make additional border guards and other relevant staff available from the national pool in accordance with Article 20(8).

10.   Deployment of the rapid reaction pool shall take place no later than five working days after the date on which the operational plan is agreed between the executive director and the host Member State. Additional deployment of European Border and Coast Guard teams, shall take place where necessary, within seven working days of the deployment of the rapid reaction pool.

11.   If the rapid reaction pool is deployed, the executive director shall, in consultation with the management board, immediately consider the priorities with regard to the Agency's ongoing and foreseen joint operations at other external borders in order to provide for possible reallocation of resources to the areas of the external borders where a strengthened deployment is most needed.

1.   Where a Member State faces disproportionate migratory challenges at particular hotspot areas of its external borders characterised by large inward mixed migratory flows, that Member State may request technical and operational reinforcement by migration management support teams. That Member State shall submit a request for reinforcement and an assessment of its needs to the Agency and other relevant Union agencies, in particular EASO and Europol.

2.   The executive director, in coordination with other relevant Union agencies, shall assess a Member State's request for reinforcement and the assessment of its needs for the purpose of defining a comprehensive reinforcement package consisting of various activities coordinated by the relevant Union agencies to be agreed upon by the Member State concerned.

3.   The Commission shall, in cooperation with the host Member State and the relevant agencies, establish the terms of cooperation at the hotspot area and be responsible for the coordination of the activities of the migration management support teams.

4.   The technical and operational reinforcement provided by the European Border and Coast Guard teams, the European return intervention teams and experts from the Agency's staff in the framework of the migration management support teams, may include:

5.   Migration management support teams shall, where necessary, include staff with expertise in child protection, trafficking in human beings, protection against gender-based persecution and/or fundamental rights.

1.   Where control of the external borders is rendered ineffective to such an extent that it risks jeopardising the functioning of the Schengen area because:

the Council, on the basis of a proposal from the Commission, may adopt without delay a decision by means of an implementing act, identifying measures to mitigate those risks to be implemented by the Agency and requiring the Member State concerned to cooperate with the Agency in the implementation of those measures. The Commission shall consult the Agency before making its proposal.

2.   If a situation requiring urgent action arises, the European Parliament shall be informed of that situation without delay and shall be informed of all subsequent measures and decisions taken in response.

3.   To mitigate the risk of putting in jeopardy the Schengen area, the Council decision referred to in paragraph 1 shall provide for one or more of the following measures to be taken by the Agency:

4.   The executive director shall, within two working days from the date of adoption of the Council decision referred to in paragraph 1:

5.   The executive director and the Member State concerned shall agree on the operational plan within three working days from the date of its submission.

6.   The Agency shall, without delay and in any case within five working days from establishment of the operational plan, deploy the necessary staff from the rapid reaction pool referred to in Article 20(5) for the practical execution of the measures identified in the Council decision referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article. Additional European Border and Coast Guard teams shall be deployed as necessary at a second stage and in any case within seven working days from the deployment of the rapid reaction pool.

7.   The Agency shall, without delay and in any case within 10 working days from establishment of the operational plan, deploy the necessary technical equipment for practical execution of the measures identified in the Council decision referred to in paragraph 1.

Additional technical equipment shall be deployed as necessary at a second stage in accordance with Article 39.

8.   The Member State concerned shall comply with the Council decision referred to in paragraph 1. For that purpose it shall immediately cooperate with the Agency and take the necessary action to facilitate the implementation of that decision and the practical execution of the measures set out in that decision and in the operational plan agreed upon with the executive director.

9.   The Member States shall make available the border guards and other relevant staff or staff involved in return-related tasks, determined by the executive director in accordance with paragraph 4 of this Article. The Member States may not invoke the situation referred to in Article 20(3) and (8).

10.   If the Member State concerned does not comply with the Council decision referred to in paragraph 1 within 30 days and does not cooperate with the Agency as provided for under paragraph 8 of this Article, the Commission may trigger the procedure provided for in Article 29 of Regulation (EU) 2016/399.

1.   The Agency shall deploy border guards and other relevant staff as members of the European Border and Coast Guard teams to joint operations, rapid border interventions and in the framework of the migration management support teams. The Agency may also deploy experts from its own staff.

2.   On a proposal by the executive director, the management board shall decide by an absolute majority of its members with a right to vote on the profiles and the overall number of border guards and other relevant staff to be made available for the European Border and Coast Guard teams. The same procedure shall apply with regard to any subsequent changes in the profiles and the overall numbers. Member States shall contribute to the European Border and Coast Guard teams through a national pool on the basis of the various defined profiles by nominating border guards and other relevant staff corresponding to the required profiles.

3.   The contribution by Member States as regards their border guards to specific joint operations for the following year shall be planned on the basis of annual bilateral negotiations and agreements between the Agency and Member States. In accordance with those agreements, Member States shall make the border guards available for deployment at the request of the Agency, unless they are faced with an exceptional situation substantially affecting the discharge of national tasks. Such a request shall be made at least 21 working days before the intended deployment. If a Member State invokes such an exceptional situation, it shall provide comprehensive reasons and information on the situation to the Agency in writing, the content of which shall be included in the report referred to in paragraph 12.

4.   As regards rapid border interventions, on a proposal by the executive director, the management board shall decide by a three-quarters majority on the profiles and the minimum number of border guards or other relevant staff that correspond to those profiles to be made available for a rapid reaction pool of European Border and Coast Guard teams. The same procedure shall apply with regard to any subsequent changes in the profiles and the overall number of border guards or other relevant staff of the rapid reaction pool. Member States shall contribute to the rapid reaction pool via a national expert pool on the basis of the various defined profiles by nominating border guards or other relevant staff corresponding to the required profiles.

5.   The rapid reaction pool shall be a standing corps placed at the immediate disposal of the Agency and which can be deployed from each Member State within five working days from when the operational plan is agreed upon by the executive director and the host Member State. For that purpose, each Member State shall, on a yearly basis, make available to the Agency a number of border guards or other relevant staff. Their profiles shall be as defined in the decision of the management board. The total number of staff made available by the Member States shall amount to a minimum of 1 500 border guards or other relevant staff. The Agency may verify whether the border guards proposed by Member States correspond to the defined profiles. The Agency may request that a Member State remove a border guard from the pool in the case of misconduct or infringement of the applicable rules.

6.   Each Member State shall be responsible for its contribution to the number of border guards or other relevant staff, as referred to in paragraph 5, in accordance with Annex I.

7.   Member States shall make the border guards and/or other relevant staff from the rapid reaction pool available for deployment at the request of the Agency. If a risk analysis and any available vulnerability assessment show that a Member State is faced with a situation that would substantially affect the discharge of national tasks, its contribution to the deployment of a rapid border intervention shall be half of its contribution fixed in Annex I. A host Member State where a rapid border intervention is taking place shall not deploy staff forming part of its fixed contribution to the rapid reaction pool. If there is a shortage of staff for deployment in the rapid border intervention, the management board shall decide how that shortage is to be filled based on a proposal of the executive director.

8.   Where necessary, the deployment of European Border and Coast Guard teams from the rapid reaction pool shall be immediately supplemented by additional European Border and Coast Guard teams. For that purpose, Member States shall, at the request of the Agency, immediately communicate the number, names and profiles of border guards and other relevant staff from their national pool whom they are able to make available within seven working days from the start of the rapid border intervention. Member States shall make the border guards and other relevant staff available for deployment at the request of the Agency unless they are faced with an exceptional situation substantially affecting the discharge of national tasks. If a Member State invokes such an exceptional situation, it shall provide comprehensive reasons and information on the situation to the Agency in writing, the content of which shall be included in the report referred to in paragraph 12.

9.   If a situation arises in which more border guards are required than provided for under paragraphs 5 and 8, the executive director shall immediately inform the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission. He or she shall also call upon the Council to seek commitments from Member States to meet the shortage.

10.   Member States shall ensure that the border guards and other relevant staff which they contribute match the profiles and the numbers decided upon by the management board. The duration of the deployment shall be determined by the home Member State but in any event shall not be less than 30 days, except if the operation of which the deployment is a part has a shorter duration than 30 days.

11.   The Agency shall contribute to the European Border and Coast Guard teams with competent border guards or other relevant staff seconded by the Member States as national experts to the Agency. The contribution by Member States as regards the secondment of their border guards or other relevant staff to the Agency for the following year shall be planned on the basis of annual bilateral negotiations and agreements between the Agency and Member States. In accordance with those agreements, Member States shall make the border guards or other relevant staff available for secondment, unless that would seriously affect the discharge of national tasks. In such situations Member States may recall their seconded border guards or other relevant staff.

Such secondments may be for 12 months or more but in any event shall not be for less than three months. The seconded border guards and other relevant staff shall be considered to be members of the teams and they shall have the tasks and powers of the members of their teams. The Member State that has seconded those border guards or other relevant staff shall be considered to be their home Member State.

Other staff employed by the Agency on a temporary basis who are not qualified to perform border control functions shall only be deployed during joint operations for coordination and other tasks which do not require full border-guard training. They shall not form part of the European Border and Coast Guard teams.

12.   The Agency shall inform the European Parliament on an annual basis of the number of border guards that each Member State has committed and the number of border guards actually deployed to the European Border and Coast Guard teams in accordance with this Article. This report shall list the Member States that have invoked the exceptional situation referred to in paragraphs 3 and 8 in the previous year. It shall also include the reasons and information provided by the Member State concerned.

1.   During deployment of European Border and Coast Guard teams, the host Member State shall issue instructions to the teams in accordance with the operational plan.

2.   The Agency, through its coordinating officer, may communicate its views to the host Member State on the instructions given to European Border and Coast Guard teams. In that case, the host Member State shall take those views into consideration and follow them to the extent possible.

3.   In cases where the instructions issued to the European Border and Coast Guard teams are not in compliance with the operational plan, the coordinating officer shall immediately report to the executive director, who may, if appropriate, take action in accordance with Article 25(3).

4.   Members of the teams shall, in the performance of their tasks and in the exercise of their powers, fully respect fundamental rights, including access to asylum procedures, and human dignity. Any measures taken in the performance of their tasks and in the exercise of their powers shall be proportionate to the objectives pursued by such measures. While performing their tasks and exercising their powers, they shall not discriminate against persons on grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.

5.   Members of the teams shall remain subject to the disciplinary measures of their home Member State. The home Member State shall provide for appropriate disciplinary or other measures in accordance with its national law regarding violations of fundamental rights or international protection obligations in the course of a joint operation or rapid border intervention.

1.   The Agency shall ensure the operational implementation of all the organisational aspects of joint operations, pilot projects or rapid border interventions, including the presence of staff members of the Agency.

2.   The executive director shall appoint one or more experts from the staff of the Agency to be deployed as a coordinating officer for each joint operation or rapid border intervention. The executive director shall notify the host Member State of the appointment.

3.   The coordinating officer shall act on behalf of the Agency in all aspects of the deployment of the European Border and Coast Guard teams. The role of the coordinating officer shall be to foster cooperation and coordination among host and participating Member States. In particular, the coordinating officer shall:

4.   In the context of joint operations or rapid border interventions, the executive director may authorise the coordinating officer to assist in resolving any disagreement on the execution of the operational plan and deployment of the teams.

1.   The Agency shall fully meet the following costs incurred by Member States in making available their border guards and other relevant staff for the purposes of deploying European Border and Coast Guard teams, including the rapid reaction pool:

2.   Detailed rules concerning the payment of the daily subsistence allowance of members of the European Border and Coast Guard teams shall be established and updated as necessary by the management board.

1.   The executive director shall terminate activities of the Agency if the conditions to conduct those activities are no longer fulfilled. The executive director shall inform the Member State concerned prior to such termination.

2.   The Member States participating in a joint operation, rapid border intervention or migration management support team deployment may request that the executive director terminate that joint operation, or rapid border intervention or migration management support team deployment.

3.   The executive director may, after informing the Member State concerned, withdraw the financing of an activity or suspend or terminate it if the operational plan is not respected by the host Member State.

4.   The executive director shall, after consulting the fundamental rights officer and informing the Member State concerned, withdraw the financing of a joint operation, rapid border intervention, pilot project, migration management support team deployment, return operation, return intervention or working arrangement or suspend or terminate, in whole or in part such activities, if he or she considers that there are violations of fundamental rights or international protection obligations that are of a serious nature or are likely to persist. The executive director shall inform the management board of such a decision.

5.   If the executive director decides to suspend or terminate deployment by the Agency of a migration management support team, he or she shall inform the other relevant agencies active in that hotspot area of that decision.

1.   The Agency shall, with regard to return, and in accordance with the respect for fundamental rights and general principles of Union law as well as for international law, including refugee protection and children's rights, in particular:

2.   The technical and operational assistance referred to in point (b) of paragraph 1 shall include activities to help Member States carry out return procedures by the competent national authorities by providing, in particular:

3.   The Agency shall aim at building synergies and connecting Union-funded networks and programmes in the field of return in close cooperation with the Commission and with the support of relevant stakeholders, including the European Migration Network.

4.   The Agency may make use of the financial means of the Union which are available for return activities. The Agency shall ensure that in its grant agreements with Member States any financial support is conditional upon the full respect for the Charter.

1.   Without entering into the merits of return decisions and in accordance with Directive 2008/115/EC, the Agency shall provide the necessary assistance and, at the request of one or several participating Member States, ensure the coordination or the organisation of return operations, including through the chartering of aircraft for the purpose of such operations. The Agency may, on its own initiative, propose to Member States that it coordinate or organise return operations.

2.   Member States shall on a monthly basis inform the Agency of their indicative planning of the number of returnees and of the third countries of return, both with respect to relevant national return operations, and of their needs for assistance or coordination by the Agency. The Agency shall draw up a rolling operational plan to provide the requesting Member States with the necessary operational reinforcements, including through technical equipment. The Agency may, on its own initiative or at the request of a Member State, include in the rolling operational plan the dates and destinations of return operations it considers necessary, based on a needs assessment. The management board shall decide, on a proposal of the executive director, on the modus operandi of the rolling operational plan.

3.   The Agency may provide the necessary assistance and, either at the request of the participating Member States or on the basis of its own proposal, ensure the coordination or the organisation of return operations for which the means of transport and forced-return escorts are provided by a third country of return (‘collecting return operations’). The participating Member States and the Agency shall ensure that the respect for fundamental rights, the principle of non-refoulement, and the proportionate use of means of constraints are guaranteed during the entire return operation. At least one Member State representative, and one forced-return monitor from the pool established under Article 29 or from the national monitoring system of the participating Member State, shall be present throughout the entire return operation until arrival at the third country of return.

4.   The executive director shall draw up a return plan without delay for collecting return operations. The executive director and any participating Member State shall agree on the plan detailing the organisational and procedural aspects of the collecting return operation, taking account of the fundamental rights implications and risks of such operations. Any amendment to or adaptation of this plan shall require the agreement of the parties referred to in paragraph 3 and in this paragraph.

5.   The return plan of collecting return operations shall be binding on the Agency and any participating Member State. It shall cover all the necessary steps for carrying out the collecting return operation.

6.   Every return operation shall be monitored in accordance with Article 8(6) of Directive 2008/115/EC. The monitoring of forced-return operations shall be carried out by the forced-return monitor on the basis of objective and transparent criteria and shall cover the whole return operation from the pre-departure phase until the hand-over of the returnees in the third country of return. The forced-return monitor shall submit a report on each forced-return operation to the executive director, the fundamental rights officer and to the competent national authorities of all the Member States involved in the given operation. If necessary, appropriate follow-up shall be ensured by the executive director and competent national authorities respectively.

7.   If the Agency has concerns regarding the respect of fundamental rights in respect of return operation, it shall communicate them to the participating Member States and to the Commission.

8.   The executive director shall evaluate the results of the return operations. Every six months, he or she shall transmit a detailed evaluation report covering all return operations conducted in the previous semester to the management board, together with the observations of the fundamental rights officer. The executive director shall make a comprehensive comparative analysis of those results with a view to enhancing the quality, coherence and effectiveness of future return operations. The executive director shall include that analysis in the Agency's annual activity report.

9.   The Agency shall finance or co-finance return operations from its budget, in accordance with the financial rules applicable to the Agency, giving priority to those conducted by more than one Member State, or from hotspot areas.

1.   The Agency shall, after consulting the fundamental rights officer, constitute a pool of forced-return monitors from competent bodies who carry out forced-return monitoring activities in accordance with Article 8(6) of Directive 2008/115/EC and who have been trained in accordance with Article 36 of this Regulation.

2.   The management board shall, on a proposal of the executive director determine the profile and the number of forced-return monitors to be made available to that pool. The same procedure shall apply with regard to any subsequent changes in the profile and overall numbers. Member States shall be responsible for contributing to the pool by nominating forced-return monitors corresponding to the defined profile. Forced-return monitors with specific expertise in child protection shall be included in the pool.

3.   Member States' contribution of forced-return monitors to return operations and interventions for the following year shall be planned on the basis of annual bilateral negotiations and agreements between the Agency and Member States. In accordance with those agreements, Member States shall make the forced-return monitors available for deployment at the request of the Agency, unless they are faced with an exceptional situation substantially affecting the discharge of national tasks. Such a request shall be made at least 21 working days before the intended deployment, or five working days in case of a rapid return intervention.

4.   The Agency shall make the forced-return monitors available upon request to participating Member States to monitor, on their behalf, the correct implementation of the return operation and return interventions throughout their duration. It shall make available forced-return monitors with specific expertise in child protection for any return operation involving children.

5.   Forced-return monitors shall remain subject to the disciplinary measures of their home Member State in the course of a return operation or return intervention.

1.   The Agency shall constitute a pool of forced-return escorts from national competent bodies who carry out return operations in accordance with the requirements referred to in Article 8(4) and (5) of Directive 2008/115/EC and who have been trained in accordance with Article 36 of this Regulation.

2.   The management board on a proposal of the executive director shall determine the profile and the number of forced-return escorts to be made available to that pool. The same procedure shall apply with regard to any subsequent changes in the profile and overall numbers. Member States shall contribute to the pool by nominating forced-return escorts corresponding to the defined profile. Forced-return escorts with specific expertise in child protection shall be included in the pool.

3.   Member States' contribution of forced-return escorts to return operations and interventions for the following year shall be planned on the basis of annual bilateral negotiations and agreements between the Agency and Member States. In accordance with those agreements, Member States shall make the forced-return escorts available for deployment at the request of the Agency, unless they are faced with an exceptional situation substantially affecting the discharge of national tasks. Such a request shall be made at least 21 working days before the intended deployment, or five working days in case of a rapid return intervention.

4.   The Agency shall make the forced-return escorts available upon request to participating Member States to escort returnees on their behalf and to take part in return operations and interventions. It shall make available forced-return escorts with specific expertise in child protection for any return operation involving children.

5.   Forced-return escorts shall remain subject to the disciplinary measures of their home Member State in the course of a return operation or return intervention.

1.   The Agency shall constitute a pool of return specialists from national competent bodies and from the staff of the Agency, who have the skills and expertise required to carry out return-related activities and who have been trained in accordance with Article 36. Those specialists shall be made available to carry out specific tasks, such as identification of particular groups of third-country nationals, the acquisition of travel documents from third countries and facilitation of consular cooperation.

2.   The management board, on a proposal of the executive director shall determine the profile and the number of return specialists to be made available to that pool. The same procedure shall apply with regard to any subsequent changes in the profile and overall numbers. Member States shall contribute to the pool by nominating specialists corresponding to the defined profile. Return specialists with specific expertise in child protection shall be included in the pool.

3.   Member States' contribution of return specialists to return operations and interventions for the following year shall be planned on the basis of annual bilateral negotiations and agreements between the Agency and Member States. In accordance with those agreements, Member States shall make the return specialists available for deployment at the request of the Agency, unless they are faced with an exceptional situation substantially affecting the discharge of national tasks. Such a request shall be made at least 21 working days before the intended deployment, or five working days in case of a rapid return intervention.

4.   The Agency shall make the return specialists available upon request to Member States participating in return operations and to take part in return interventions. It shall make available return specialists with specific expertise in child protection for any return operation involving children.

5.   Return specialists shall remain subject to the disciplinary measures either of the Agency or of their home Member State in the course of a return operation or return intervention.

1.   The Agency shall constitute, from the pools set out in Articles 29, 30 and 31, tailor-made European return intervention teams for deployment during return interventions.

2.   Articles 21, 22 and 24 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the European return intervention teams.

1.   In circumstances where a Member State is facing a burden when implementing the obligation to return third-country nationals who are the subject of return decisions issued by a Member State, the Agency shall, upon request of that Member State, provide the appropriate technical and operational assistance in the form of a return intervention. Such intervention may consist of the deployment of European return intervention teams to the host Member State and the organisation of return operations from the host Member State.

2.   In circumstances where a Member State is facing specific and disproportionate challenges when implementing its obligation to return third-country nationals who are the subject of return decisions issued by a Member State, the Agency shall, upon the request of that Member State, provide the appropriate technical and operational assistance in the form of a rapid return intervention. The Agency may propose on its own initiative to provide that Member State with such technical and operational assistance. A rapid return intervention may consist in the rapid deployment of European return intervention teams to the host Member State and the organisation of return operations from the host Member State.

3.   In the context of a return intervention, the executive director shall draw up an operational plan without delay, in agreement with the host Member State and the participating Member States. The relevant provisions of Article 16 shall apply.

4.   The executive director shall take a decision on the operational plan as soon as possible and, in the case referred to in paragraph 2, within five working days. The decision shall be immediately notified, in writing, to the Member States concerned and to the management board.

5.   The Agency shall finance or co-finance return interventions from its budget in accordance with the financial rules applicable to the Agency.

1.   The European Border and Coast Guard shall guarantee the protection of fundamental rights in the performance of its tasks under this Regulation in accordance with relevant Union law, in particular the Charter, relevant international law — including the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, the 1967 Protocol thereto and obligations related to access to international protection, in particular the principle of non-refoulement.

For that purpose, the Agency shall draw up, further develop and implement a fundamental rights strategy including an effective mechanism to monitor the respect for fundamental rights in all the activities of the Agency.

2.   In performing of its tasks, the European Border and Coast Guard shall ensure that no person is disembarked in, forced to enter, conducted to, or otherwise handed over or returned to, the authorities of a country in contravention of the principle of non-refoulement, or from which there is a risk of expulsion or return to another country in contravention of that principle.

3.   In performing of its tasks the European Border and Coast Guard shall take into account the special needs of children, unaccompanied minors, persons with disabilities, victims of trafficking in human beings, persons in need of medical assistance, persons in need of international protection, persons in distress at sea and other persons in a particularly vulnerable situation.

The European Border and Coast Guard shall in all its activities pay particular attention to children's rights and ensure that the best interests of the child are respected.

4.   In performing its tasks, in its relations with Member States and in its cooperation with third countries, the Agency shall take into account the reports of the consultative forum referred to in Article 70 (‘the consultative forum’) and the fundamental rights officer.

1.   The Agency shall, in cooperation with the consultative forum, draw up and further develop a code of conduct applicable to all border control operations coordinated by the Agency and all persons participating in the activities of the Agency. The code of conduct shall lay down procedures intended to guarantee the principles of the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights with particular focus on vulnerable persons, including children, unaccompanied minors and other persons in a vulnerable situation, as well as on persons seeking international protection.

2.   The Agency shall, in cooperation with the consultative forum, draw up and further develop a code of conduct for the return of returnees, which shall apply during all return operations and return interventions coordinated or organised by the Agency. That code of conduct shall describe common standardised procedures to simplify the organisation of return operations and return interventions, and assure return in a humane manner and with full respect for fundamental rights, in particular the principles of human dignity, the prohibition of torture and of inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the right to liberty and security and the right to the protection of personal data and non-discrimination.

3.   The code of conduct for return shall in particular pay attention to the obligation of Member States to provide for an effective forced-return monitoring system as set out in Article 8(6) of Directive 2008/115/EC and to the fundamental rights strategy.

1.   The Agency shall, in cooperation with the appropriate training entities of the Member States, and, where appropriate, EASO and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, develop specific training tools, including specific training in the protection of children and other persons in a vulnerable situation. It shall provide border guards and other relevant staff who are members of the European Border and Coast Guard teams with advanced training relevant to their tasks and powers. Experts from the staff of the Agency shall conduct regular exercises with those border guards in accordance with the advanced training and exercise schedule referred to in the annual work programme of the Agency.

2.   The Agency shall take the necessary initiatives to ensure that all border guards and other relevant staff of the Member States who participate in the European Border and Coast Guard teams, as well as the staff of the Agency, have received training in relevant Union and international law, including on fundamental rights, access to international protection and where appropriate search and rescue, prior to their participation in operational activities organised by the Agency.

3.   The Agency shall finance 100 % of training for border guards to be included in the rapid reaction pool referred to in Article 20(5), for the purposes of their participation in this pool.

4.   The Agency shall take the necessary initiatives to ensure training for staff involved in return-related tasks who are allocated to the pools referred to in Articles 29, 30 and 31. The Agency shall ensure that its staff and all staff who participate in return operations and in return interventions have received training in relevant Union and international law, including on fundamental rights and access to international protection, prior to their participation in operational activities organised by the Agency.

5.   The Agency shall establish and further develop common core curricula for the training of border guards and provide training at European level for instructors of the national border guards of Member States, including with regard to fundamental rights, access to international protection and relevant maritime law. The common core curricula shall aim to promote the highest standards and best practices in the implementation of Union border management legislation. The Agency shall draw up the common core curricula after consulting the consultative forum and the fundamental rights officer. Member States shall integrate the common core curricula into the training they provide to their national border guards and staff involved in return-related tasks.

6.   The Agency shall also offer additional training courses and seminars on subjects related to the control of the external borders and return of third-country nationals for officers of the competent national services of Member States and where appropriate of third countries.

7.   The Agency may organise training activities in cooperation with Member States and third countries on their territory.

8.   The Agency shall establish an exchange programme enabling border guards participating in the European Border and Coast Guard teams and staff participating in the European return intervention teams to acquire knowledge or specific know-how from experiences and good practices abroad by working with border guards and staff involved in return-related tasks in a Member State other than their own.

1.   The Agency shall proactively monitor and contribute to research and innovation activities relevant for European integrated border management including the use of advanced surveillance technology. The Agency shall disseminate the results of that research to the European Parliament, to the Member States and to the Commission in accordance with Article 50. It may use those results as appropriate in joint operations, rapid border interventions, return operations and return interventions.

2.   The Agency shall assist the Member States and the Commission in identifying key research themes. The Agency shall assist Member States and the Commission in drawing up and implementing the relevant Union framework programmes for research and innovation activities.

3.   The Agency shall implement the parts of the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation which relate to border security. For that purpose, and where the Commission has delegated the relevant powers to it, the Agency shall have the following tasks:

4.   The Agency may plan and implement pilot projects regarding matters covered by this Regulation.

1.   The Agency may acquire, either on its own or as co-owner with a Member State, or lease technical equipment to be deployed during joint operations, pilot projects, rapid border interventions, return operations, return interventions, migration management support team deployments or technical assistance projects in accordance with the financial rules applicable to the Agency.

2.   The Agency may acquire technical equipment by decision of the executive director in consultation with the management board. Any acquisition or leasing of equipment entailing significant costs to the Agency shall be preceded by a thorough needs and cost/benefit analysis. Any such expenditure shall be provided for in the Agency's budget as adopted by the management board.

3.   Where the Agency acquires or leases major technical equipment, the following conditions shall apply:

4.   On the basis of a model agreement drawn up by the Agency and approved by the management board, the Member State of registration and the Agency shall agree on terms ensuring the interoperability of the equipment and governing the use of the equipment, including specific provisions on rapid deployment during rapid border interventions. In the case of co-owned assets, the terms shall also cover the periods of full availability of the assets for the Agency. Technical equipment owned solely by the Agency shall be made available to the Agency upon its request and the Member State of registration may not invoke the exceptional situation referred to in Article 39(8).

5.   The Member State of registration or the supplier of technical equipment shall provide the necessary experts and technical crew to operate the technical equipment in a legally sound and safe manner.

1.   The Agency shall set up and keep centralised records of equipment in a technical equipment pool composed of equipment owned either by the Member States or by the Agency and equipment co-owned by the Member States and by the Agency for its operational activities.

2.   Equipment solely owned by the Agency shall be fully available for deployment at any time as referred to in Article 38(4).

3.   Equipment co-owned by the Agency at a share of more than 50 % shall also be available for deployment in accordance with an agreement between a Member State and the Agency as referred to in 38(4).

4.   The Agency shall ensure the compatibility and interoperability of the equipment listed in the technical equipment pool.

To that end, it shall define technical standards to be met by equipment for its deployment in the activities of the Agency, where necessary. Equipment to be acquired by the Agency, be it as sole or co-owner, and equipment owned by Member States which is listed in the technical equipment pool shall meet these standards.

5.   The executive director shall identify the minimum number of items of technical equipment required to meet the needs of the Agency, in particular as regards carrying out joint operations, migration management support team deployments, rapid border interventions, return operations and return interventions, in accordance with its work programme for the year in question.

If the minimum number of items of technical equipment proves to be insufficient to carry out the operational plan agreed for such activities, the Agency shall revise it on the basis of justified needs and of an agreement with the Member States.

6.   The technical equipment pool shall contain the minimum number of items of equipment identified as needed by the Agency per type of technical equipment. The equipment listed in the technical equipment pool shall be deployed during joint operations, migration management support team deployments, pilot projects, rapid border interventions, return operations or return interventions.

7.   The technical equipment pool shall include a rapid reaction equipment pool containing a limited number of items of equipment needed for possible rapid border interventions. The contributions of Member States to the rapid reaction equipment pool shall be planned in accordance with the annual bilateral negotiations and agreements referred in paragraph 8. For the equipment on the list of the items in this pool, Member States may not invoke the exceptional situation referred to in paragraph 8.

The equipment on this list shall be sent to the destination for deployment as soon as possible, and, in any event, no later than 10 days after the date on which the operational plan is agreed.

The Agency shall contribute to this pool with equipment at the Agency's disposal as referred to in Article 38(1).

8.   Member States shall contribute to the technical equipment pool. The contribution by Member States to the pool and deployment of the technical equipment for specific operations shall be planned on the basis of annual bilateral negotiations and agreements between the Agency and Member States. In accordance with those agreements and to the extent that it forms part of the minimum number of items of technical equipment for a given year, Member States shall make their technical equipment available for deployment at the request of the Agency, unless they are faced with an exceptional situation substantially affecting the discharge of national tasks. If a Member State invokes such an exceptional situation, it shall provide, in writing, comprehensive reasons and information on the situation to the Agency, the content of which shall be included in the report referred to in paragraph 13. The Agency's request shall be made at least 45 days before the intended deployment of major technical equipment and 30 days before the intended deployment of other equipment. The contributions to the technical equipment pool shall be reviewed annually.

9.   On a proposal of the executive director, the management board shall decide, on a yearly basis, on the rules relating to technical equipment, including the required overall minimum numbers of items per type of technical equipment and the terms for the deployment and reimbursement of costs as well as on the limited number of items of technical equipment for a rapid reaction equipment pool. For budgetary purposes that decision should be taken by the management board by 30 June each year.

10.   If a rapid border intervention takes place, Article 17(11) will apply accordingly.

11.   If unexpected needs for technical equipment for a joint operation or a rapid border intervention arise after the minimum number of items of technical equipment has been set and those needs cannot be met from the technical equipment pool or the rapid reaction equipment pool, Member States shall, where possible, on an ad hoc basis, make the necessary technical equipment available for deployment to the Agency upon its request.

12.   The executive director shall regularly report on the composition and the deployment of equipment which is part of the technical equipment pool to the management board. Where the minimum number of items of technical equipment required in the pool has not been met, the executive director shall inform the management board without delay. The management board shall take a decision on the prioritisation of the deployment of the technical equipment urgently and take the appropriate steps to remedy the shortfall. The management board shall inform the Commission of the shortfall and the steps it has taken. The Commission shall subsequently inform the European Parliament and the Council thereof and of its own assessment.

13.   The Agency shall on an annual basis submit a report to the European Parliament on the number of items of technical equipment that each Member State has committed to the technical equipment pool in accordance with this Article. That report shall list the Member States that invoked the exceptional situation referred to in paragraph 8 in the previous year and include the reasons and information provided by the Member State concerned.

14.   Member States shall register in the technical equipment pool all the means of transport and operating equipment purchased under the Specific Actions of the Internal Security Fund in accordance with Article 7(1) of Regulation (EU) No 515/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (31) or, where relevant, any other dedicated Union funding made available to the Member States in view of increasing the operational capacity of the Agency. That technical equipment shall form part of the minimum number of items of technical equipment for a given year.

The Member States shall make that technical equipment available for deployment to the Agency upon its request. In case of an operation referred to in Article 17 or in Article 19 of this Regulation, they may not invoke the exceptional situation referred to in paragraph 8 of this Article.

15.   The Agency shall manage the records of the technical equipment pool as follows:

16.   The Agency shall finance at 100 % the deployment of technical equipment which forms part of the minimum number of items of technical equipment provided by a given Member State for a given year. The deployment of technical equipment which does not form part of the minimum number of items of technical equipment shall be co-financed by the Agency up to a maximum of 100 % of the eligible expenses, taking into account the particular circumstances of the Member States deploying such technical equipment.

1.   Members of the teams shall have the capacity to perform all tasks and exercise all powers for border control and return as well as those which are necessary for the realisation of the objectives of Regulation (EU) 2016/399 and Directive 2008/115/EC.

2.   While performing their tasks and exercising their powers, members of the teams shall comply with Union and international law and shall observe fundamental rights and the national law of the host Member State.

3.   Members of the teams may only perform tasks and exercise powers under instructions from and, as a general rule, in the presence of border guards or staff involved in return-related tasks of the host Member State. The host Member State may authorise members of the teams to act on its behalf.

4.   Members of the teams shall wear, where appropriate, their own uniform while performing their tasks and exercising their powers. They shall also wear visible personal identification and a blue armband with the insignias of the Union and of the Agency on their uniforms, identifying them as participating in a joint operation, migration management support team deployment, pilot project, rapid border intervention, return operation or return intervention. For the purposes of identification vis-à-vis the national authorities of the host Member State, members of the teams shall at all times carry an accreditation document, which they shall present upon request.

5.   While performing their tasks and exercising their powers, members of the teams may carry service weapons, ammunition and equipment as authorised in accordance with the home Member State's national law. However, the host Member State may prohibit the carrying of certain service weapons, ammunition and equipment, provided that its own legislation applies the same prohibition to its own border guards or staff involved in return-related tasks. The host Member State shall, in advance of the deployment of the members of the teams, inform the Agency of the permissible service weapons, ammunition and equipment and of the conditions for their use. The Agency shall make this information available to Member States.

6.   While performing their tasks and exercising their powers, members of the teams shall be authorised to use force, including service weapons, ammunition and equipment, with the consent of the home Member State and the host Member State, in the presence of border guards of the host Member State and in accordance with the national law of the host Member State. The host Member State may, with the consent of the home Member State, authorise members of the teams to use force in the absence of border guards of the host Member State.

7.   Service weapons, ammunition and equipment may be used in legitimate self-defence and in legitimate defence of members of the teams or of other persons in accordance with the national law of the host Member State.

8.   For the purpose of this Regulation, the host Member State shall authorise members of the teams to consult European databases the consultation of which is necessary for fulfilling operational aims specified in the operational plan on border checks, border surveillance and return. The host Member State may also authorise them to consult its national databases where necessary for the same purpose. Member States shall ensure that they provide such database access in an efficient and effective manner. The members of the teams shall consult only those data which are required for performing their tasks and exercising their powers. The host Member State shall, in advance of the deployment of the members of the teams, inform the Agency of the national and European databases which may be consulted. The Agency shall make this information available to all Member States participating in the deployment.

That consultation shall be carried out in accordance with Union data protection law and the national data protection law of the host Member State.

9.   Decisions to refuse entry in accordance with Article 14 of Regulation (EU) 2016/399 shall be taken only by border guards of the host Member State or by the members of the teams if authorised by the host Member State to act on its behalf.

1.   The Agency shall, in cooperation with the host Member State, issue a document in the official language of the host Member State and another official language of the institutions of the Union to the members of the teams for the purpose of identifying them and as proof of the holder's rights to perform tasks and exercise powers as referred to in Article 40. The document shall include the following features of each member of the teams:

2.   The document shall be returned to the Agency at the end of a joint operation, migration management support team deployment, pilot project, rapid border intervention, return operation or return intervention.

1.   Where members of the teams are operating in a host Member State, that Member State shall be liable in accordance with its national law for any damage caused by them during their operations.

2.   Where such damage is caused by gross negligence or wilful misconduct, the host Member State may approach the home Member State in order to have any sums it has paid to the victims or persons entitled on their behalf reimbursed by the home Member State.

3.   Without prejudice to the exercise of its rights vis-à-vis third parties, each Member State shall waive all its claims against the host Member State or any other Member State for any damage it has sustained, except in cases of gross negligence or wilful misconduct.

4.   Any dispute between Member States relating to the application of paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article which cannot be resolved by negotiations between them shall be submitted by them to the Court of Justice of the European Union in accordance with Article 273 TFEU.

5.   Without prejudice to the exercise of its rights vis-à-vis third parties, the Agency shall meet costs related to damage caused to the Agency's equipment during deployment, except in cases of gross negligence or wilful misconduct.

1.   The Agency may take all necessary measures to facilitate the exchange of information relevant to its tasks with the Commission and the Member States and, where appropriate, the relevant Union agencies. It shall develop and operate an information system capable of exchanging classified information with those actors, and of exchanging personal data referred to in Articles 45, 47, 48 and 49 of this Regulation in accordance with Council Decision 2013/488/EU (32) and Commission Decision (EU, Euratom) 2015/444 (33).

2.   The Agency may take all necessary measures to facilitate the exchange of information relevant for its tasks with Ireland and the United Kingdom if it relates to the activities in which they participate in accordance with Article 51 and Article 62(5).

1.   The Agency shall apply Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 when processing personal data.

2.   The management board shall establish measures for the application of Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 by the Agency, including those concerning the data protection officer of the Agency. Those measures shall be established after consultation of the European Data Protection Supervisor.

3.   Without prejudice to Articles 47, 48 and 49, the Agency may process personal data for administrative purposes.

4.   Without prejudice to Article 48, the transfer of personal data processed by the Agency and the onward transfer by Member States to authorities of third countries or third parties, including international organisations, of personal data processed in the framework of this Regulation, shall be prohibited.

1.   The Agency may process personal data only for the following purposes:

2.   Any processing of personal data as referred to in paragraph 1 shall respect the principle of proportionality and be strictly limited to personal data necessary for the purposes referred to in that paragraph.

3.   A Member State or other Union agency providing personal data to the Agency shall determine the purpose or the purposes for which it shall be processed as referred to in paragraph 1. The Agency may process such personal data for a different purpose which also falls under paragraph 1 only if authorised by the data provider of the information.

4.   Member States and other Union agencies may indicate, at the moment of transferring personal data, any restrictions on access to it or use of it, in general or specific terms, including as regards transfer, erasure or destruction. Where the need for such restrictions becomes apparent after the transfer of personal data, they shall inform the Agency accordingly. The Agency shall comply with such restrictions.

1.   The Agency shall only process the following categories of personal data collected and transmitted to it by the Member States or by its own staff in the context of joint operations, pilot projects and rapid border interventions, and by migration management support teams:

2.   Personal data referred to in paragraph 1 may be processed by the Agency in the following cases:

Personal data regarding persons referred to in point (b) of paragraph 1 shall only be transferred to law enforcement authorities in specific cases and when strictly necessary for the purpose of preventing, detecting, investigating or prosecuting serious crime.

3.   Personal data shall be deleted as soon as they have been transmitted to EASO, Europol or Eurojust or to the competent authorities of Member States or used for the preparation of risk analyses. The storage period shall, in any event, not exceed 90 days after the date of the collection of those data. In the results of risk analyses, data shall be anonymised.

1.   In performing its tasks of organising and coordinating the return operations and conducting return interventions, the Agency may process personal data of returnees.

2.   The personal data processed by the Agency shall be strictly limited to those personal data which are required for the purposes of the return operation or the return intervention.

3.   The personal data shall be deleted as soon as the purpose for which they have been collected has been achieved and no later than 30 days after the end of the return operation or the return intervention.

4.   Where the personal data of returnees are not transmitted to the carrier by a Member State, the Agency may transfer such data.

1.   The Agency shall apply the Commission's rules on security as set out in Decision (EU, Euratom) 2015/444. Those rules shall apply, inter alia, to the exchange, processing and storage of classified information.

2.   The Agency shall apply the security principles relating to the processing of non-classified sensitive information as set out in the Decision (EU, Euratom) 2015/444 and as implemented by the Commission. The management board shall establish measures for the application of those security principles.

3.   Classification shall not preclude information being made available to the European Parliament. The transmission and handling of information and documents transmitted to the European Parliament in accordance with this Regulation shall comply with rules concerning the forwarding and handling of classified information which are applicable between the European Parliament and the Commission.

1.   The Agency shall facilitate operational cooperation of the Member States with Ireland and the United Kingdom in specific activities.

2.   Support to be provided by the Agency pursuant to points (l), (n) and (o) of Article 8(1) shall cover the organisation of return operations of Member States in which Ireland or the United Kingdom, or both, also participate.

3.   The application of this Regulation to the borders of Gibraltar shall be suspended until the date on which an agreement is reached on the scope of the measures concerning the crossing by persons of the external borders.

1.   The Agency shall cooperate with the Commission, other Union institutions, the European External Action Service, EASO, Europol, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Eurojust, the European Union Satellite Centre, the European Maritime Safety Agency and the European Fisheries Control Agency as well as other Union bodies, offices and agencies in matters covered by this Regulation, and in particular with the objectives of better addressing migratory challenges and preventing and detecting cross-border crime such as migrant smuggling, trafficking in human beings and terrorism.

To that end, the Agency may cooperate with international organisations competent in matters covered by this Regulation.

2.   Cooperation referred to in paragraph 1 shall take place within the framework of working arrangements concluded with the entities referred to in paragraph 1. Such arrangements shall have received the Commission's prior approval. In every case, the Agency shall inform the European Parliament of any such arrangements.

3.   The Agency shall cooperate with the Commission and, where relevant, with Member States in activities under this Regulation. Although outside the scope of this Regulation, it shall also engage in such cooperation in activities relating to the customs area including risk management, where these activities may support each other. This cooperation shall be without prejudice to the existing competences of the Commission and of the Member States.

4.   The Union institutions, bodies, offices, agencies and international organisations referred to in paragraph 1, shall use information received from the Agency only within the limits of their competences and insofar as they respect fundamental rights, including data protection requirements. Onward transmission or other communication of personal data processed by the Agency to other Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies shall be subject to specific working arrangements regarding the exchange of personal data and subject to the prior approval of the European Data Protection Supervisor. Any transfer of personal data by the Agency shall be in line with the data protection provisions laid down in Articles 45 to 49. As regards the handling of classified information, those arrangements shall provide that the Union institution, body, office, agency or international organisation concerned shall comply with security rules and standards equivalent to those applied by the Agency.

5.   The Agency may, with the agreement of the Member States concerned, invite observers of Union institutions, bodies, offices, agencies or international organisations to participate in its activities, in particular joint operations and pilot projects, risk analysis and training, to the extent that their presence is in accordance with the objectives of those activities, may contribute to the improvement of cooperation and the exchange of best practices, and does not affect the overall safety and security of those activities. The participation of those observers in risk analysis and training may take place only with the agreement of the Member States concerned. As regards joint operations and pilot projects, the participation of observers shall be subject to the agreement of the host Member State. Detailed rules on the participation of observers shall be included in the operational plan. Those observers shall receive appropriate training from the Agency prior to their participation.

1.   The Agency shall, in cooperation with the European Fisheries Control Agency and the European Maritime Safety Agency, support national authorities carrying out coast guard functions at national and Union level and, where appropriate, at international level by:

2.   The precise forms of cooperation on coast guard functions between the Agency, the European Fisheries Control Agency and the European Maritime Safety Agency shall be determined in a working arrangement, in accordance with their respective mandates and the financial rules applicable to those agencies. Such an arrangement shall be approved by the management board of the Agency and the administrative boards of the European Maritime Safety Agency and the European Fisheries Control Agency.

3.   The Commission shall, in close cooperation with the Member States, the Agency, the European Maritime Safety Agency and the European Fisheries Control Agency, make available a practical handbook on European cooperation on coast guard functions. That handbook shall contain guidelines, recommendations and best practices for the exchange of information. The Commission shall adopt the handbook in the form of a recommendation.

1.   In matters covered by its activities and to the extent required for the fulfilment of its tasks, the Agency shall facilitate and encourage technical and operational cooperation between Member States and third countries, within the framework of the external relations policy of the Union, including with regard to the protection of fundamental rights and the principle of non-refoulement. The Agency and the Member States shall comply with Union law, including norms and standards which form part of the Union acquis also when cooperation with third countries takes place on the territory of those countries. The establishment of cooperation with third countries shall serve to promote European border management and return standards.

2.   The Agency may cooperate with the authorities of third countries competent in matters covered by this Regulation with the support of, and in coordination with, Union delegations. When doing so, it shall act within the framework of the external relations policy of the Union, including with regard to the protection of fundamental rights and the principle of non-refoulement. It shall also act within the framework of working arrangements concluded with those authorities in accordance with Union law and policy. Those working arrangements shall specify the scope, nature and purpose of the cooperation and be related to the management of operational cooperation. The draft arrangements shall have received the Commission's prior approval. The Agency shall inform the European Parliament before a working arrangement is concluded. The Agency shall comply with Union law, including norms and standards which form part of the Union acquis.

3.   In circumstances requiring increased technical and operational assistance, the Agency may coordinate operational cooperation between Member States and third countries with respect to management of the external borders. The Agency shall have the possibility of carrying out actions at the external borders involving one or more Member States and a third country neighbouring at least one of those Member States, subject to the agreement of that neighbouring third country, including on the territory of that third country. Operations shall be carried out on the basis of an operational plan that has the agreement of the Member State or Member States bordering the operational area. The participation of Member States in joint operations on the territory of third countries shall be on voluntary basis. The Commission shall be informed of such activities.

4.   In cases where it is envisaged that teams will be deployed to a third country in actions where the team members will have executive powers, or where other actions in third countries require it, a status agreement shall be concluded by the Union with the third country concerned. The status agreement shall cover all aspects that are necessary for carrying out the actions. It shall in particular set out the scope of the operation, civil and criminal liability and the tasks and powers of the members of the teams. The status agreement shall ensure the full respect of fundamental rights during these operations.

5.   The Commission shall draw up a model status agreement for actions on the territory of third countries.

6.   The Agency shall cooperate with the competent authorities of third countries on return, including on the acquisition of travel documents.

7.   The Agency may, with the agreement of the Member States concerned, invite observers from third countries to participate in its activities at the external borders referred to in Article 14, return operations referred to in Article 28, return interventions referred to in Article 33 and training referred to in Article 36, to the extent that their presence is in accordance with the objectives of those activities, may contribute to improving cooperation and the exchange of best practices, and does not affect the overall safety of those activities. The participation of those observers may take place only with the agreement of the Member States concerned regarding the activities referred to in Articles 14, 19, 28 and 36 and only with the agreement of the host Member State regarding those referred to in Articles 14 and 33. Detailed rules on the participation of observers shall be included in the operational plan. Those observers shall receive appropriate training from the Agency prior to their participation. They shall be required to adhere to the codes of conduct of the Agency while participating in its activities.

8.   The Agency shall participate in the implementation of international agreements concluded by the Union with third countries within the framework of the external relations policy of the Union and regarding matters covered by this Regulation.

9.   The Agency may benefit from Union funding in accordance with the provisions of the relevant instruments supporting the external relations policy of the Union. It may launch and finance technical assistance projects in third countries regarding matters covered by this Regulation.

10.   When concluding bilateral agreements with third countries, Member States may, in agreement with the Agency, include provisions concerning the role and competence of the Agency in accordance with this Regulation, in particular regarding the exercise of executive powers by members of the European Border and Coast Guard teams deployed by the Agency during the joint operations, pilot projects, rapid border interventions, return operations or return interventions. The Member States shall notify the Commission of any such provisions.

11.   The Agency shall inform the European Parliament of activities conducted pursuant to this Article. It shall include an assessment of the cooperation with third countries in its annual reports.

1.   The Agency may deploy experts from its own staff as liaison officers, who should enjoy the highest possible protection when carrying out their duties in third countries. They shall form part of the local or regional cooperation networks of immigration liaison officers and security experts of the Union and of the Member States, including the network set up pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No 377/2004 (34). Liaison officers shall only be deployed to third countries in which border management practices comply with minimum human rights standards.

2.   Within the framework of the external relations policy of the Union, priority for the deployment of liaison officers shall be given to those third countries which, on the basis of a risk analysis, constitute a country of origin or transit regarding illegal immigration. The Agency may receive liaison officers posted by those third countries on a reciprocal basis. The management board shall, on a proposal of the executive director, adopt the list of priorities on a yearly basis. The deployment of liaison officers shall be approved by the management board.

3.   The tasks of the Agency's liaison officers shall include, in compliance with Union law and respecting fundamental rights, establishing and maintaining contacts with the competent authorities of the third country to which they are assigned with a view to contributing to the prevention of and fight against illegal immigration and the return of returnees. Those liaison officers shall coordinate closely with Union delegations.

4.   The decision to deploy liaison officers to third countries shall be subject to receiving the prior opinion of the Commission. The European Parliament shall be kept fully informed of those activities without delay.

1.   The Agency shall be a body of the Union. It shall have legal personality.

2.   In each of the Member States, the Agency shall enjoy the most extensive legal capacity accorded to legal persons under their laws. It may, in particular, acquire or dispose of movable and immovable property and may be party to legal proceedings.

3.   The Agency shall be independent in implementing its technical and operational mandate.

4.   The Agency shall be represented by its executive director.

5.   The seat of the Agency shall be Warsaw, Poland, subject to the implementation of Article 57.

1.   The necessary arrangements concerning the accommodation to be provided for the Agency in the Member State in which the Agency has its seat and the facilities to be made available by that Member State, as well as the specific rules applicable to the executive director, the deputy executive director, the members of the management board, the staff of the Agency and members of their families in that Member State shall be laid down in a headquarters agreement between the Agency and the Member State in which the Agency has its seat.

2.   The headquarters agreement shall be concluded after obtaining the approval of the management board and no later than 7 April 2017.

3.   The Member State in which the Agency has its seat shall provide the best possible conditions to ensure the proper functioning of the Agency, including multilingual, European-oriented schooling and appropriate transport connections.

1.   The Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union (‘Staff Regulations’) and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the Union (‘Conditions of Employment’), laid down in Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 259/68 (35), and the rules adopted in agreement between the institutions of the Union for giving effect to those Staff Regulations and the Conditions of Employment shall apply to the Agency's staff.

2.   For the purpose of implementing Articles 12, 22 and Article 32(2), only a staff member of the Agency subject to the Staff Regulations or to Title II of the Conditions of Employment may be appointed as a coordinating officer or a liaison officer. For the purpose of implementing Article 20(11), only seconded border guards or other relevant staff may be designated for secondment to the European Border and Coast Guard teams. The Agency shall designate those national experts who are to be seconded to the European Border and Coast Guard teams in accordance with that Article.

3.   The management board shall adopt the necessary implementing measures in agreement with the Commission pursuant to Article 110 of the Staff Regulations.

4.   The management board may adopt provisions to allow border guards or other relevant staff from Member States to be seconded to the Agency. Those provisions shall take into account the requirements of Article 20(11), in particular the fact that the seconded border guards or other relevant staff are considered to be members of the teams and have the tasks and powers provided for in Article 40. They shall include provisions on the conditions of deployment.

1.   The contractual liability of the Agency shall be governed by the law applicable to the contract in question.

2.   The Court of Justice of the European Union shall have jurisdiction to give judgment pursuant to any arbitration clause contained in a contract concluded by the Agency.

3.   In the case of non-contractual liability, the Agency shall, in accordance with the general principles common to the laws of the Member States, make good any damage caused by its departments or by its staff in the performance of their duties.

4.   The Court of Justice of the European Union shall have jurisdiction in disputes relating to compensation for the damage referred to in paragraph 3.

5.   The personal liability of the Agency's staff towards it shall be governed by the provisions laid down in the Staff Regulations and Conditions of Employment applicable to them.

1.   The management board shall be responsible for taking the strategic decisions of the Agency in accordance with this Regulation.

2.   The management board shall:

The annual activity report referred to in point (i) shall be made public.

3.   Proposals for decisions of the management board as referred to in paragraph 2 on specific activities of the Agency to be carried out at, or in the immediate vicinity of, the external borders of any particular Member State shall require a vote in favour of their adoption by the Member of the management board representing that Member State.

4.   The management board may advise the executive director on any matter related to the development of operational management of the external borders and return, including activities related to research.

5.   Should Ireland and/or the United Kingdom request to participate in specific activities, the management board shall decide thereon.

The management board shall take its decision on a case-by-case basis by an absolute majority of its members with a right to vote. In its decision, the management board shall consider if the participation of Ireland and/or the United Kingdom contributes to the achievement of the activity in question. The decision shall set out the financial contribution of Ireland and/or the United Kingdom to the activity for which a request for participation has been made.

6.   The management board shall forward annually to the European Parliament and the Council (‘the budgetary authority’) any information relevant to the outcome of the evaluation procedures conducted by the Agency.

7.   The management board may establish a small-sized executive board, to assist it and the executive director with regard to the preparation of the decisions, programmes and activities to be adopted by the management board and to take certain provisional, urgent decisions on behalf of the management board when necessary. The executive board shall not take decisions that must be passed by either a two-thirds or three-quarters majority of the management board. The management board may delegate certain clearly defined tasks to the executive board, in particular where this improves the efficiency of the Agency. It may not delegate to the executive board tasks related to decisions that must be passed by either a two-thirds or three-quarters majority of the management board.

8.   The management board shall adopt, in accordance with Article 110 of the Staff Regulations, a decision based on Article 2(1) of the Staff Regulations and on Article 6 of the Conditions of Employment, delegating relevant appointing-authority powers to the executive director and setting out the conditions under which this delegation of powers can be suspended. The executive director shall be authorised to sub-delegate those powers.

Where exceptional circumstances so require, the management board may by way of a decision temporarily suspend the delegation of the appointing authority powers to the executive director and those sub-delegated by the latter. It may then exercise them itself or delegate them to one of its members or to a staff member other than the executive director.

1.   Without prejudice to paragraph 3, the management board shall be composed of one representative of each Member State and two representatives of the Commission, all with a right to vote. To this effect, each Member State shall appoint a member of the management board as well as an alternate who will represent the member in his or her absence. The Commission shall appoint two members and their alternates. The duration of the terms of office shall be four years. The terms of office shall be extendable.

2.   The management board members shall be appointed on the basis of their degree of high level relevant experience and expertise in the field of operational cooperation on border management and return and their relevant managerial, administrative and budgetary skills. Member States and the Commission shall aim to achieve a gender balanced representation on the management board.

3.   Countries associated with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis shall participate in the Agency. They shall have one representative and one alternate each on the management board. The arrangements developed under the relevant provisions of their association agreements, that specify the nature and extent of, and the detailed rules for, the participation by those countries in the work of the Agency, including provisions on financial contributions and staff, shall apply.

1.   The management board shall, by 30 November each year, adopt a programming document containing the Agency's multiannual programming and annual programming for the following year, based on a draft put forward by the executive director, taking into account the opinion of the Commission and, as regards the multiannual programming, after having consulted the European Parliament. The management board shall forward the document to the European Parliament, to the Council and to the Commission.

2.   The document referred to in paragraph 1 shall become definitive after the final adoption of the general budget. It shall be adjusted accordingly where necessary.

3.   The multiannual programming shall set out overall strategic programming in the medium and long term, including objectives, expected results, performance indicators and resource planning, including the multiannual budget and staff. The multiannual programming shall set out the strategic areas of intervention and explain what needs to be done to achieve the objectives. It shall include a strategy for relations with third countries and international organisations as well as the actions linked to that strategy.

4.   The multiannual programming shall be implemented by means of annual work programmes and shall, where appropriate, be updated following the outcome of an evaluation conducted pursuant to Article 81. The conclusion of those evaluations shall also be reflected, where appropriate, in the annual work programme for the following year.

5.   The annual work programme shall contain a description of the activities to be financed comprising detailed objectives and expected results including performance indicators. It shall also contain an indication of the financial and human resources allocated to each activity, in accordance with the principles of activity-based budgeting and management. The annual work programme shall be consistent with the multiannual programming. It shall clearly indicate tasks that have been added, changed or deleted compared with the previous financial year.

6.   The annual work programme shall be adopted according to the Union legislative programme in relevant areas of the management of the external borders and returns;

7.   Where, after adoption of an annual work programme, a new task is assigned to the Agency, the management board shall amend the annual work programme.

8.   Any substantial amendment to the annual work programme shall be adopted by the same procedure as that applicable to adoption of the initial annual work programme. The management board may delegate to the executive director the power to make non-substantial amendments to the annual work programme.

1.   The management board shall elect a chairperson and a deputy chairperson from among its members with a right to vote. The chairperson and the deputy chairperson shall be elected by a two-thirds majority of the members of the management boards with a right to vote. The deputy chairperson shall ex officio replace the chairperson in the event of his or her being prevented from attending to his or her duties.

2.   The term of office of the chairperson and deputy chairperson shall expire when their respective membership of the management board ceases. Subject to this provision, the terms of office of the chairperson or deputy chairperson shall be four years. These terms of office shall be extendable once.

1.   Meetings of the management board shall be convened by its chairperson.

2.   The executive director shall take part in the deliberations, without the right to vote.

3.   The management board shall hold at least two ordinary meetings a year. In addition, it shall meet at the initiative of the chairperson, at the request of the Commission, or at the request of at least one third of its members.

4.   Ireland and the United Kingdom shall be invited to attend the meetings of the management board.

5.   The management board may invite a representative of relevant Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies.

6.   The management board may invite, in accordance with its rules of procedure, any other person whose opinion may be of interest to attend its meetings as an observer.

7.   The members of the management board may, subject to the provisions of its rules of procedure, be assisted by advisers or experts.

8.   The secretariat for the management board shall be provided by the Agency.

1.   Without prejudice to Article 20(4), points (c), (j) and (l) of Article 62(2), Article 65(1) and Article 69(2) and (4), the management board shall take its decisions by an absolute majority of its members with a right to vote.

2.   Each member shall have one vote. In the absence of a member, his or her alternate shall be entitled to exercise his or her right to vote. The executive director shall not vote.

3.   The rules of procedure shall set out the voting arrangements in greater detail. Those rules shall include the conditions for a member to act on behalf of another member as well as any quorum requirements.

4.   Representatives of countries associated with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis shall have limited voting rights corresponding to their respective arrangements. In order to allow the associated countries to exercise their right to vote, the Agency shall detail the agenda identifying the points for which a limited voting right has been granted.

1.   The Agency shall be managed by its executive director, who shall be completely independent in the performance of his or her duties. Without prejudice to the respective competencies of the Union institutions and the management board, the executive director shall neither seek nor take instructions from any government or from any other body.

2.   The European Parliament or the Council may invite the executive director to report on the carrying out of his or her tasks. This includes reporting on the implementation and monitoring of the fundamental rights strategy, the annual activity report of the Agency for the previous year, the work programme for the following year and the Agency's multiannual programming or any other matter related to the activities of the Agency. The executive director shall also make a statement before the European Parliament, if requested and report to it regularly.

3.   The executive director shall be responsible for the preparation and implementation of the strategic decisions taken by the management board and for the taking of decisions related to the operational activities of the Agency in accordance with this Regulation. The executive director shall have the following functions and powers:

4.   The executive director shall be accountable for his or her activities to the management board.

5.   The executive director shall be the legal representative of the Agency.

1.   The Commission shall propose at least three candidates for the post of executive director based on a list following publication of the post in the Official Journal of the European Union and, as appropriate, other press or internet sites.

2.   The executive director shall be appointed by the management board on the grounds of merit and documented high-level administrative and management skills, including relevant senior professional experience in the field of management of the external-borders and return. Before appointment, the candidates proposed by the Commission shall be invited to make a statement before the competent committee or committees of the European Parliament and answer questions put by its or their members.

Following such a statement, the European Parliament shall adopt an opinion setting out its views and may indicate a preferred candidate.

The management board shall appoint the executive director taking these views into account. The management board shall take its decision by a two-thirds majority of all members with a right to vote.

If the management board takes a decision to appoint a candidate other than the candidate whom the European Parliament indicated as its preferred candidate, the management board shall inform the European Parliament and the Council in writing of the manner in which the opinion of the European Parliament was taken into account.

Power to dismiss the executive director shall lie with the management board, acting on a proposal from the Commission.

3.   The executive director shall be assisted by a deputy executive director. If the executive director is absent or indisposed, the deputy executive director shall take his or her place.

4.   The deputy executive director shall be appointed by the management board on the proposal of the executive director. The deputy executive director shall be appointed on the grounds of merit and appropriate administrative and management skills, including relevant professional experience in the field of management of the external borders and return. The executive director shall propose at least three candidates for the post of deputy executive director. The management board shall take its decision by a two-thirds majority of all members with a right to vote.

The management board shall have the power to dismiss the deputy executive director in accordance with the procedure set out in the first subparagraph.

5.   The term of office of the executive director shall be five years. By the end of that period, the Commission shall undertake an assessment that takes into account an evaluation of the executive director's performance and the Agency's future tasks and challenges.

6.   The management board, acting on a proposal from the Commission that takes into account the assessment referred to in paragraph 5, may extend the term of office of the executive director once, for another period of up to five years.

7.   The term of the office of the deputy executive director shall be five years. It may be extended by the management board once, for another period of up to five years.

1.   A consultative forum shall be established by the Agency to assist the executive director and the management board with independent advice in fundamental rights matters.

2.   The Agency shall invite EASO, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other relevant organisations to participate in the consultative forum. On a proposal by the executive director, the management board shall decide on the composition of the consultative forum and the terms of the transmission of information to the consultative forum. The consultative forum shall, after consulting the management board and the executive director, define its working methods and set up its work programme.

3.   The consultative forum shall be consulted on the further development and implementation of the fundamental rights strategy, on the establishment of the complaints mechanism, on codes of conduct and on common core curricula.

4.   The consultative forum shall prepare an annual report of its activities. That report shall be made publicly available.

5.   Without prejudice to the tasks of the fundamental rights officer, the consultative forum shall have effective access to all information concerning the respect for fundamental rights, including by carrying out on-the-spot visits to joint operations or rapid border interventions subject to the agreement of the host Member State, and to hotspot areas, return operations and return interventions.

1.   A fundamental rights officer shall be appointed by the management board. He or she shall have the tasks of contributing to the Agency's fundamental rights strategy, of monitoring its compliance with fundamental rights and of promoting its respect of fundamental rights. The fundamental rights officer shall have the necessary qualifications and experience in the field of fundamental rights.

2.   The fundamental rights officer shall be independent in the performance of his or her duties. He or she shall report directly to the management board and cooperate with the consultative forum. The fundamental rights officer shall so report on a regular basis and as such contribute to the mechanism for monitoring fundamental rights.

3.   The fundamental rights officer shall be consulted on the operational plans drawn up in accordance with Articles 16, 17 and 28 and Article 33(4). He or she shall have access to all information concerning respect for fundamental rights in all the activities of the Agency.

1.   The Agency shall, in cooperation with the fundamental rights officer, take the necessary measures to set up a complaints mechanism in accordance with this Article to monitor and ensure the respect for fundamental rights in all the activities of the Agency.

2.   Any person who is directly affected by the actions of staff involved in a joint operation, pilot project, rapid border intervention, migration management support team deployment, return operation or return intervention and who considers him or herself to have been the subject of a breach of his or her fundamental rights due to those actions, or any party representing such a person, may submit a complaint in writing to the Agency.

3.   Only substantiated complaints involving concrete fundamental rights violations shall be admissible.

4.   The fundamental rights officer shall be responsible for handling complaints received by the Agency in accordance with the right to good administration. For this purpose, the fundamental rights officer shall review the admissibility of a complaint, register admissible complaints, forward all registered complaints to the executive director, forward complaints concerning members of the teams to the home Member State, inform the relevant authority or body competent for fundamental rights in a Member State, and register and ensure the follow-up by the Agency or that Member State.

5.   In accordance with the right to good administration, if a complaint is admissible, complainants shall be informed that a complaint has been registered, that an assessment has been initiated and that a response may be expected as soon as it becomes available. If a complaint is forwarded to national authorities or bodies, the complainant shall be provided with their contact details. If a complaint is not admissible, complainants shall be informed of the reasons and, if possible, provided with further options for addressing their concerns.

Any decision shall be in written form and reasoned.

6.   In the case of a registered complaint concerning a staff member of the Agency, the executive director shall ensure appropriate follow-up, in consultation with the fundamental rights officer, including disciplinary measures as necessary. The executive director shall report back within a determined timeframe to the fundamental rights officer as to the findings and follow-up made by the Agency in response to a complaint, including disciplinary measures as necessary.

If a complaint is related to data protection issues, the executive director shall involve the data protection officer of the Agency. The fundamental rights officer and the data protection officer shall establish, in writing, a memorandum of understanding specifying their division of tasks and cooperation as regards complaints received.

7.   If a complaint is registered that concerns a border guard of a host Member State or a member of the teams, including a seconded member of the teams or seconded national expert, the home Member State shall ensure appropriate follow-up, including disciplinary measures as necessary or other measures in accordance with national law. The relevant Member State shall report back to the fundamental rights officer as to the findings and follow-up made in response to the complaint within a determined time period, and if necessary, at regular intervals thereafter. The Agency shall follow-up the matter if no report is received from the relevant Member State.

8.   Where a border guard or a seconded national expert is found to have violated fundamental rights or international protection obligations, the Agency may request that the Member State remove that border guard or seconded national expert immediately from the activity of the Agency or the rapid reaction pool.

9.   The fundamental rights officer shall report to the executive director and to the management board as to the Agency's and Member States' findings and follow-up made in response to complaints. The Agency shall include information on the complaints mechanism in its annual report.

10.   The fundamental rights officer shall, in accordance with the provisions set out in paragraphs 1 to 9 and after consulting the consultative forum, draw up a standardised complaint form requiring detailed and specific information concerning the alleged breach of fundamental rights. The fundamental rights officer shall also draw up any further detailed rules as necessary. The fundamental rights officer shall submit that form and such further detailed rules to the executive director and to the management board.

The Agency shall ensure that information about the possibility and procedure for making a complaint is readily available, including for vulnerable persons. The standardised complaint form shall be made available on the Agency's website and in hardcopy during all activities of the Agency, in languages that third-country nationals understand or are reasonably believed to understand. Complaints shall be considered by the fundamental rights officer even when they are not submitted in the standardised complaint form.

11.   Any personal data contained in a complaint shall be handled and processed by the Agency including the fundamental rights officer in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and by Member States in accordance with Directive 95/46/EC and Framework Decision 2008/977/JHA.

When a complainant submits a complaint, that complainant shall be understood to consent to the processing of his or her personal data by the Agency and the fundamental rights officer within the meaning of point (d) of Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 45/2001.

In order to safeguard the interests of the complainants, complaints shall be dealt with confidentially by the fundamental rights officer in accordance with national and Union law unless the complainant explicitly waives his or her right to confidentiality. When complainants waive their right to confidentiality, it shall be understood that they consent to the fundamental rights officer or the Agency disclosing their identity to the competent authorities or bodies in relation to the matter under complaint, where necessary.

1.   The provisions laid down in Regulation No 1 (36) shall apply to the Agency.

2.   Without prejudice to decisions taken on the basis of Article 342 TFEU, the annual activity report and the work programme referred to in points (i) and (j) of Article 62(2) shall be produced in all official languages of the Union.

3.   The translation services required for the functioning of the Agency shall be provided by the Translation Centre for bodies of the European Union.

1.   The Agency shall be subject to Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 when handling applications for access to documents held by it.

2.   The Agency shall communicate on matters falling within the scope of its tasks on its own initiative. It shall make public relevant information including the annual activity report referred to in point (i) of Article 62(2) and ensure, without prejudice to Article 50, in particular that the public and any interested party are rapidly given objective, comprehensive, reliable and easily understandable information with regard to its work. It shall do so without revealing operational information which, if made public, would jeopardise attainment of the objective of operations.

3.   The management board shall lay down the practical arrangements for the application of paragraphs 1 and 2.

4.   Any natural or legal person shall be entitled to address written correspondence to the Agency in any of the official languages of the Union. He or she shall have the right to receive an answer in the same language.

5.   Decisions taken by the Agency pursuant to Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 may give rise to a complaint being lodged with the European Ombudsman or to an action before the Court of Justice of the European Union, under the conditions laid down in Articles 228 and 263 TFEU respectively.

1.   The revenue of the Agency shall consist, without prejudice to other types of income, of:

2.   The expenditure of the Agency shall include its administrative, infrastructure, operational and staff-related expenses.

3.   The executive director shall draw up a draft statement of estimates of the Agency's revenue and expenditure for the following financial year, including an establishment plan, and shall forward it to the management board.

4.   Revenue and expenditure shall be balanced.

5.   The management board shall, on the basis of the draft statement of estimates drawn up by the executive director, adopt a provisional draft estimate of the Agency's revenue and expenditure, including the provisional establishment plan. The management board shall forward them to the European Parliament, to the Council and to the Commission by 31 January every year, together with the draft single programming document.

6.   The management board shall send the final draft estimates of the Agency's revenue and expenditure including the draft establishment plan accompanied by the preliminary work programme to the Commission by 31 March every year.

7.   The estimate shall be forwarded by the Commission to the budgetary authority together with the draft budget of the European Union.

8.   On the basis of the estimate, the Commission shall enter in the draft general budget of the European Union the estimates it deems necessary for the establishment plan and the amount of the subsidy to be charged to the general budget, which it shall place before the budgetary authority in accordance with Articles 313 and 314 TFEU.

9.   The budgetary authority shall authorise appropriations for the subsidy to the Agency.

The budgetary authority shall adopt the establishment plan for the Agency.

10.   The management board adopts the Agency's budget. It shall become final following final adoption of the general budget of the European Union. Where appropriate, it shall be adjusted accordingly.

11.   Any modification to the budget, including the establishment plan, shall follow the same procedure.

12.   For any building project likely to have significant implications for the budget of the Agency, the provisions of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1271/2013 (37) shall apply.

13.   To finance the deployment of rapid border interventions and return interventions, the budget of the Agency adopted by the management board shall include a financial operational reserve amounting at least to 4 % of the allocation foreseen for the operational activities. On 1 October each year, at least one-quarter of the reserve should remain available in order to cover needs arising until the end of the year.

1.   The executive director shall implement the Agency's budget.

2.   By 1 March of a financial year N + 1, the Agency's accounting officer shall communicate the provisional accounts for the financial year N to the Commission's accounting officer and to the Court of Auditors. The Commission's accounting officer shall consolidate the provisional accounts of the institutions and decentralised bodies in accordance with Article 147 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (38).

3.   The Agency shall send a report on the budgetary and financial management for year N to the European Parliament, the Council and the Court of Auditors by 31 March of year N + 1.

4.   The Commission's accounting officer shall send the Agency's provisional accounts for year N, consolidated with the Commission's accounts, to the Court of Auditors by 31 March of year N + 1.

5.   On receipt of the Court of Auditors' observations on the Agency's provisional accounts for year N, pursuant to Article 148 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012, the executive director shall draw up the Agency's final accounts under his or her own responsibility and forward them to the management board for an opinion.

6.   The management board shall deliver an opinion on the Agency's final accounts for year N.

7.   By 1 July of year N + 1, the executive director shall send the final accounts, together with the opinion of the management board, to the European Parliament, to the Council, to the Commission and to the Court of Auditors.

8.   The final accounts for year N shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union by 15 November of year N + 1.

9.   The executive director shall send the Court of Auditors a reply to its observations by 30 September of year N + 1. He or she shall also send this reply to the management board.

10.   The executive director shall submit to the European Parliament, at the latter's request, any information required for the smooth application of the discharge procedure for year N, in accordance with Article 165(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012.

11.   On a recommendation from the Council acting by qualified majority, the European Parliament shall, before 15 May of the year N + 2, give a discharge to the executive director in respect of the implementation of the budget for the year N.

1.   In order to combat fraud, corruption and other illegal activities, the provisions of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 shall apply without restriction. The Agency shall accede to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 25 May 1999 concerning internal investigations by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and shall adopt, without delay, the appropriate provisions applicable to all the employees of the Agency using the template set out in the Annex to that Agreement.

2.   The Court of Auditors shall have the power of audit, on the basis of documents and of on-the-spot inspections, over all grant beneficiaries, contractors and subcontractors who have received Union funds from the Agency.

3.   OLAF may carry out investigations, including on-the-spot checks and inspections, in accordance with the provisions and procedures laid down in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 and Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 (39) with a view to establishing whether there has been fraud, corruption or any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests of the Union in connection with a grant agreement or grant decision or a contract funded by the Agency.

4.   Without prejudice to paragraphs 1, 2 and 3, cooperation agreements with third countries and with international organisations, contracts, grant agreements and grant decisions of the Agency shall contain provisions expressly empowering the Court of Auditors and OLAF to conduct such audits and investigations, in accordance with their respective competences.