1. A European panel of independent experts ("European panel") shall be established to carry out the selection and monitoring procedures. 2. The European panel shall consist of 10 members. They shall be citizens of the Union. They shall be independent experts with substantial experience and expertise in the cultural sector, in the cultural development of cities or in the organisation of a European Capital of Culture. They shall also be able to devote an appropriate number of working days per year to the European panel. The Commission shall pre-select a pool of potential panel members following the organisation of a call for expression of interest. The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission shall subsequently select three experts each from this pool and appoint them in accordance with their respective procedures. The Committee of the Regions shall select one expert and appoint him/her in accordance with its procedures. Each institution and body shall seek to ensure that the competences of the experts it appoints are as complementary as possible, and that those experts are drawn from a balanced geographical spectrum. The European panel shall designate its chairperson. 3. The members of the European panel shall be appointed for a period of three years. However, by way of derogation as regards the first panel to be established under the present Decision, the European Parliament shall appoint its three experts for three years, the Council for one year, the Commission for two years and the Committee of the Regions shall appoint its expert for one year in order to enable a staggered replacement of panel members and thus to avoid the loss of experience and know-how which would result if all members were replaced simultaneously.

1. An independent European panel of independent experts ("European panel") shall be established to carry out the selection and monitoring procedures. 2. The European panel shall consist of 11 0 members. They shall be citizens of the Union. They shall be independent experts with substantial have experience and expertise in the cultural sector, in the cultural development at local, regional or urban level of cities or in the organisation of a European Capital of Culture. They shall also be able to devote an appropriate number of working days per year sufficient time to the European panel. The Commission shall pre-select a pool of potential panel members following the organisation of a call for expression of interest. The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission shall subsequently select three experts members each from this pool and appoint them in accordance with their respective procedures. The Committee of the Regions shall select one expert member and appoint him/her in accordance with its procedures. One member shall be appointed by the Member State concerned in consultation with the Commission. In the case of applications by countries under Article 10, this member shall be replaced by another member, appointed by the Commission. Each institution and body shall seek to ensure that the competences of the experts members it appoints are as complementary as possible, and that those experts members are drawn from a balanced geographical spectrum. The European panel shall designate its chairperson. 3. The members of the European panel appointed by the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission and the Committee of the Regions The members of the European panel shall be appointed for a period of three four years. However, by way of derogation as regards the first panel to be established under the present Decision, the European Parliament shall appoint its three experts for three years, the Council shall appoint its members for one two years, and the Commission shall appoint its experts for two three years and the Committee of the Regions shall appoint its expert for one year in order to enable a staggered replacement of panel members and thus to avoid the loss of experience and know-how which would result if all members were replaced simultaneously.