5.

Article 8 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 8 Governing Board 1. The Governing Board shall consist of: (a) one member representing the Government from each Member State; (b) one member representing the employers' organisations from each Member State; (c) one member representing the employees' organisations from each Member State; (d) three members representing the Commission. 2. The members referred to in points (a), (b) and (c) of paragraph 1 shall be appointed by the Council from the members and alternate members of the Advisory Committee on Safety and Health at Work. The members referred to in paragraph 1(a) shall be appointed on a proposal from the Member States. The members referred in paragraph 1(b) and (c) shall be appointed on a proposal by the respective groups' spokespersons on the Committee. The proposals from the three groups within the Committee shall be submitted to the Council; the proposals shall also be forwarded to the Commission for information. The Council shall at the same time appoint, under the same conditions as for the member, an alternate member to attend meetings of the Governing Board only in the absence of the member. The Commission shall appoint the members and alternate members who are to represent it, taking into account a balanced representation of men and women. When submitting the lists of candidates, the Member States, employers' organisations and employees' organisation shall endeavour to ensure that the composition of the Governing Board fairly reflects the various economic sectors concerned and to ensure a balanced representation of men and women. These submissions shall take place within three months of the renewal of the membership of the Advisory Committee for Safety and Health at Work being renewed in accordance with the provisions of Articles 3(3) and (4) and 4(1) of Council Decision of 22 July 2003 setting up an Advisory Committee on Safety and Health at Work (5). The list of the members of the Governing Board shall be published by the Council in the Official Journal of the European Union and by the Agency on its Internet site. 3. The term of office of members of the Governing Board shall be three years. It shall be renewable. Exceptionally, the term of office of the members of the Governing Board who are in office on the day of the entry into force of this Regulation shall be extended until a new Governing Board has been appointed in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 2. Upon expiry of their term of office or in the event of their resignation, members shall remain in office until their appointments are renewed or until they are replaced. 4. Within the Governing Board, the representatives of governments, employees' organisations and employers' organisations shall each form a group. Each group shall designate a coordinator who will take part in the meetings of the Governing Board. The coordinators of the employees' and employers' groups shall be representatives of their respective organisations at European level. Coordinators who are not appointed Board members within the meaning of paragraph 1 will take part in meetings without the right to vote. The Governing Board shall elect its chair and three vice-chairs, one from each of the three groups referred to above and one from among the Commission representatives, to serve for a period of one year, which may be renewed. 5. The chair shall convene the Governing Board at least once a year. The chair shall convene additional meetings at the request of at least one-third of the members of the Governing Board. 6. All members of the Governing Board shall have one vote each and decisions shall be taken by an absolute majority. However, decisions in the framework of the annual work programme and with budgetary consequences for the national focal points shall also require the consent of the majority of the government group. The Governing Board shall devise a written decision-making procedure, to which the first subparagraph shall apply mutatis mutandis. 7. The Governing Board, having received an opinion from the Commission, shall adopt its rules of procedure which shall lay down the practical arrangements for its activities. The rules of procedure, shall be transmitted for information to the European Parliament and the Council. However, within a period of three months of the rules of procedure being transmitted to it and acting by a simple majority, the Council may modify those rules. 8. The Governing Board shall establish a Bureau of 11 members. The Bureau shall be made up of the chair and the three vice-chairs of the Governing Board, one coordinator per group as referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 4, and one more representative of each group and of the Commission. Each group may designate up to three alternates to attend the meetings of the Bureau, in the absence of the full members. 9. Without prejudice to the responsibilities of the Director, as set out in Article 11, the Bureau shall, as delegated by the Governing Board, monitor the implementation of the decisions of the Governing Board and take all necessary measures for the proper governing of the Agency between the Governing Board meetings. The Governing Board may not delegate to the Bureau the competences referred to in Articles 10, 13, 14 and 15. 10. The annual number of meetings of the Bureau shall be decided by the Governing Board. The chair of the Bureau shall convene additional meetings at the request of its members. 11. Decisions by the Bureau shall be taken by consensus. If no consensus can be reached, the Bureau shall refer the matter to the Governing Board for decision. 12. The Governing Board shall be fully and promptly informed on the activities of and the decisions taken by the Bureau.