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Title 2 of the Framework Agreement of 18 December 2008, concerning recognition of the trade unions and staff associations, provides as follows: ‘Article 6: Recognition The parties agree on the principle of official recognition of the trade unions and staff associations of [Commission] personnel. This recognition implies the acceptance by each party of the other as a social dialogue partner. Article 7: Criteria for recognition of the trade unions and staff associations Trade unions and staff associations shall be recognised — if they declare that their statutory aim is the defence of the interests of all members of staff without any discrimination based on any ground, such as function group, nationality, nature of connection with the Commission, gender, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation; — if they confirm that they have been legally constituted. Article 8: Groupings of recognised trade unions and staff associations Recognised trade unions and staff associations may act alone or may form groupings of recognised trade unions and staff associations. A grouping is defined as an organisational structure of a federal, confederal or other nature, governed by an official agreement notified to the [Commission], bringing together two or more recognised trade unions or staff associations in one or more places of employment. The term “organisation” shall be used in this Agreement to refer either to a trade union/staff association or to a grouping thereof. The organisations may be affiliated to international and/or national trade union organisations. Article 9: representativeness of the organisations The [Commission] shall recognise as representative the recognised organisations which meet the following two criteria: — they represent at least 6% of [Commission] staff at central level and 5% at local level (in a single place of employment); — they have at least 400 fully paid-up members who are officials, other servants or retired officials of the [Commission]. Organisations meeting the above representativeness criteria shall be permitted to sign this Framework Agreement as signatory representative organisations. Their signature may be accompanied by the co-signature of the member elements of the signatory representative groupings. Article 10: Representativeness criteria to be fulfilled by the organisations (a) The results of the statutory elections of the local sections of the Staff Committee shall be calculated as follows. The calculation shall be based on the number of votes cast and weighted in accordance with the method laid down in Annex 2. The adjustment of representativeness as provided for in Annex 2 shall take place after a complete round of elections for the local sections of the Staff Committee. However, at the written request of a representative organisation, the adjustment may be made on the occasion of each election of a local section of the Staff Committee. (b) The number of members of the organisations shall be notified by a declaration by the chairman of the organisation to an independent body selected in accordance with the concertation rules. After verification, this body shall notify the Administration as to whether or not the organisations exceed the threshold. The verification procedure shall be as follows: submission of a copy of the organisation’s articles of association, of proof that the members are fully paid-up and of documentation proving that regular meetings are held by the organisation with its members. The declaration and the verification of the threshold of the representative organisations shall be made every three years. The independent body may not under any circumstances notify the Administration or any other body of the exact number of members of an organisation. Article 11: Loss and restoration of representativeness Any signatory representative organisation which no longer meets one of these criteria shall be notified by the Administration and its rights as a representative organisation under this Framework Agreement shall be suspended within three months. Such rights shall be immediately restored on verification that the thresholds in question have again been reached. The Administration shall notify the other signatory representative organisations accordingly.’