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1. Member States shall deploy appropriate staff in sufficient numbers in consulates to carry out the tasks relating to the examination of applications, in such a way as to ensure a reasonable and harmonised quality of service to the public.

1a. Member States shall ensure that the entire visa procedure in consulates, including the lodging and handling of applications, the printing of visa stickers and the practical cooperation with external service providers, is monitored by expatriate staff to ensure the integrity of all stages of the procedure.

2. Premises shall meet appropriate functional requirements of adequacy and allow for appropriate security measures.

3. Member States' central authorities shall provide adequate training to both expatriate staff and locally employed staff and shall be responsible for providing them with complete, precise and up-to-date information on the relevant Union and national law.

3a. Where applications are examined and decided on by central authorities as referred to in Article 4(1a), the Member States shall provide specific training to ensure that the staff of those central authorities have sufficient and updated country-specific knowledge of local socio-economic circumstances, and complete, precise and up-to-date information on relevant Union and national law.

3b. Member States shall also ensure that consulates have sufficient and adequately trained staff for assisting the central authorities in examining and deciding on applications, notably by participating in local Schengen cooperation meetings, exchanging information with other consulates and local authorities, gathering relevant information locally on migratory risk and fraudulent practices, and conducting interviews and additional examinations.

4. Member States’ central authorities shall ensure frequent and adequate monitoring of the conduct of examination of applications and take corrective measures when deviations from the provisions of this Regulation are detected.

5. Member States shall ensure that a procedure is in place which allows applicants to submit complaints regarding:

(a) the conduct of staff at consulates and, where applicable, of the external service providers; or (b) the application process. Consulates or central authorities shall keep a record of complaints and the follow-up given. Member States shall make information on the procedure provided for in this paragraph available to the public.