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1. After a transitional period, a management authority (the Management Authority), funded from the general budget of the European Union, shall be responsible for the operational management of the central VIS and the national interfaces. The Management Authority shall ensure, in cooperation with the Member States, that at all times the best available technology, subject to a cost-benefit analysis, is used for the central VIS and the national interfaces.

2. The Management Authority shall also be responsible for the following tasks relating to the communication infrastructure between the central VIS and the national interfaces:

(a) supervision;

(b) security;

(c) the coordination of relations between the Member States and the provider.

3. The Commission shall be responsible for all other tasks relating to the Communication Infrastructure between the central VIS and the national interfaces, in particular:

(a) tasks relating to implementation of the budget;

(b) acquisition and renewal;

(c) contractual matters.

3a. From 30 June 2018, the Management Authority shall be responsible for the tasks referred to in paragraph 3.

4. During a transitional period before the Management Authority takes up its responsibilities, the Commission shall be responsible for the operational management of the VIS. The Commission may delegate that task and tasks relating to implementation of the budget, in accordance with Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (), to national public-sector bodies in two different Member States.

5. Each national public-sector body referred to in paragraph 4 shall meet the following selection criteria:

(a) it must demonstrate that it has extensive experience in operating a large-scale information system;

(b) it must have considerable expertise in the service and security requirements of a large-scale information system;

(c) it must have sufficient and experienced staff with the appropriate professional expertise and linguistic skills to work in an international cooperation environment such as that required by the VIS;

(d) it must have a secure and custom-built facility infrastructure able, in particular, to back up and guarantee the continuous functioning of large-scale IT systems; and (e) its administrative environment must allow it to implement its tasks properly and avoid any conflict of interests.

6. Prior to any delegation as referred to in paragraph 4 and at regular intervals thereafter, the Commission shall inform the European Parliament and the Council of the terms of the delegation, its precise scope, and the bodies to which tasks are delegated.

7. Where the Commission delegates its responsibility during the transitional period pursuant to paragraph 4, it shall ensure that the delegation fully respects the limits set by the institutional system laid out in the Treaty. It shall ensure, in particular, that the delegation does not adversely affect any effective control mechanism under Community law, whether by the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors or the European Data Protection Supervisor.

8. Operational management of the VIS shall consist of all the tasks necessary to keep the VIS functioning 24 hours a day, seven days a week in accordance with this Regulation, in particular the maintenance work and technical developments necessary to ensure that the system functions at a satisfactory level of operational quality, in particular as regards the time required for interrogation of the central database by consular posts, which should be as short as possible.

9. Without prejudice to Article 17 of the Staff Regulations of officials of the European Communities, laid down in Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 259/68 (), the Management Authority shall apply appropriate rules of professional secrecy or other equivalent duties of confidentiality to all its staff required to work with VIS data. This obligation shall also apply after such staff leave office or employment or after the termination of their activities.