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1. In order to ensure the smooth functioning of Part IV of this Regulation, a Technical-Level EU Solidarity Forum (the ‘Technical-Level Forum’) shall be established and the EU Solidarity Coordinator shall, on behalf of the Commission, convene and chair it.

2. The Technical-Level Forum shall comprise representatives of the relevant authorities of the Member States at a level sufficiently senior to carry out the tasks conferred on it.

3. Third countries that have concluded with the Union an agreement on the criteria and mechanisms for establishing the State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in a Member State or in that third country may, for the purpose of contributing to solidarity on an ad hoc basis be invited to participate in the Technical-Level Forum as appropriate.

4. The Asylum Agency shall participate in the Technical-Level Forum. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights shall, where appropriate and when invited by the EU Solidarity Coordinator, participate in the Technical-Level Forum. United Nations agencies may, depending on their involvement in the solidarity mechanism, also be invited to participate.

5. Following the adoption of the Council implementing act referred to in Article 57, the EU Solidarity Coordinator shall convene a first meeting of the Technical-Level Forum. Following that first meeting, the Technical-Level Forum shall meet on a regular basis and as frequently as necessary, in particular pursuant to Articles 58(3) and 59(6), in order to operationalise the solidarity mechanism between the Member States and address the solidarity needs with the contributions identified.