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1. A panel shall be convened at the request of an authorising officer of any Union institution, Union body, European office or body or person entrusted with the implementation of specific actions in the CFSP pursuant to Title V of the TEU.

2. The panel shall be composed of:

(a) a standing high-level independent chair appointed by the Commission;

(b) a standing high-level independent vice-chair appointed by the Commission, who shall deputise for the chair;

(c) two permanent representatives of the Commission as the owner of the early detection and exclusion system, who shall express a joint position; and (d) one representative of the requesting authorising officer. The composition of the panel shall ensure the appropriate legal and technical expertise. The panel shall be assisted by a permanent secretariat, provided by the Commission, which shall ensure the continuous administration of the panel.

3. The Chair shall be chosen from among former members of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the Court of Auditors or former officials who have had at least the rank of Director-General in a Union institution other than the Commission. He or she shall be selected on the basis of his or her personal and professional qualities, extensive experience in legal and financial matters and proven competence, independence and integrity. The term of office shall be five years and shall not be renewable. The Chair shall be appointed as special adviser within the meaning of Article 5 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union. The Chair shall preside all sessions of the panel. He or she shall be independent in the performance of his or her duties. He or she shall not have a conflict of interests between his or her duties as Chair and any other official duties.

4. The rules of procedure of the panel shall be adopted by the Commission.

5. The panel shall uphold the right of the person or entity concerned, as referred to in Article 137(2), to submit observations on the facts or findings referred to in Article 138(3) and on the preliminary classification in law before adopting its recommendations. The right to submit observations may be deferred in exceptional circumstances where there are compelling legitimate grounds to preserve the confidentiality of an investigation or of national judicial proceedings, until such legitimate grounds cease to exist.

6. The recommendation of the panel to exclude and/or impose a financial penalty shall, where applicable, contain the following elements:

(a) the facts or findings referred to in Article 138(3) and their preliminary classification in law;

(b) an assessment of the need to impose a financial penalty and its amount;

(c) an assessment of the need to exclude the person or entity referred to in Article 137(2) and, in that case, the suggested duration of such an exclusion;

(d) an assessment of the need to publish the information related to the person or entity referred to in Article 137(2) who is excluded and/or subject to a financial penalty;

(e) an assessment of remedial measures taken by the person or entity referred to Article 137(2), if any. Where the authorising officer responsible envisages taking a more severe decision than what has been recommended by the panel, he or she shall ensure that such a decision is taken with due respect for the right to be heard and for the rules of personal data protection. Where the authorising officer responsible decides to deviate from the recommendation of the panel, he or she shall justify such decision to the panel.

7. The panel shall revise its recommendation during the exclusion period on request from the authorising officer responsible in the cases referred to in Article 138(11) or following the notification of a final judgment or a final administrative decision establishing the grounds for exclusion where such a judgment or decision does not set the duration of the exclusion, as referred to in Article 138(3), second subparagraph.

8. The panel shall notify the requesting authorising officer without delay of its revised recommendation, following which the authorising officer shall review his or her decision.

9. The Court of Justice of the European Union shall have unlimited jurisdiction to review a decision whereby the authorising officer excludes a person or entity referred to in Article 137(2) and/or imposes a financial penalty on a recipient, including annulling the exclusion, reducing or increasing its duration and/or annulling, reducing or increasing the financial penalty imposed. Article 22(1) of Regulation (EC) No 58/2003 shall not apply when the decision of the authorising officer to exclude or impose a financial penalty is taken on the basis of a recommendation of the panel.