1. The following Advisory Groups shall provide the Management Board with expertise relating to large-scale IT systems and, in particular, in the context of the preparation of the annual work programme and the annual activity report:
(a)
SIS II Advisory Group;
(b)
VIS Advisory Group;
(c)
Eurodac Advisory Group;
(d)
EES-ETIAS Advisory Group;
(e)
any other advisory group relating to a large-scale IT system when so provided in the relevant Union legal act governing the development, establishment, operation and use of that large-scale IT system.
2. Each Member State that is bound under Union law by any Union legal act governing the development, establishment, operation and use of a particular large-scale IT system, and the Commission shall appoint one member to the Advisory Group relating to that large-scale IT system for a four-year term, which may be renewed.
Denmark shall also appoint a member to an Advisory Group relating to a large-scale IT system if it decides under Article 4 of the Protocol No 22 to implement the Union legal act governing the development, establishment, operation and use of that particular large-scale IT system in its national law.
Each country associated with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis and with Dublin- and Eurodac-related measures that participates in a particular large-scale IT system shall appoint a member to the Advisory Group relating to that large-scale IT system.
3. Europol, Eurojust and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency may each appoint a representative to the SIS II Advisory Group. Europol may also appoint a representative to the VIS, Eurodac and EES-ETIAS Advisory Groups. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency may also appoint a representative to the EES-ETIAS Advisory Group.
4. Members of the Management Board and their alternates shall not be members of any of the Advisory Groups. The Executive Director or a representative of the Executive Director shall be entitled to attend all the meetings of the Advisory Groups as an observer
5. Advisory Groups shall cooperate with each other as necessary. The procedures for the operation and cooperation of the Advisory Groups shall be laid down in the Agency’s rules of procedure.
6. When preparing an opinion, the members of each Advisory Group shall do their best to reach consensus. If consensus is not reached, the reasoned position of the majority of members shall be considered the opinion of the Advisory Group. The minority reasoned position or positions shall also be recorded. Article 23(3) and (5) shall apply accordingly. The members representing the countries associated with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis and with Dublin- and Eurodac-related measures shall be allowed to express opinions on issues on which they are not entitled to vote.
7. Each Member State and each country associated with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis and with Dublin- and Eurodac-related measures shall facilitate the activities of the Advisory Groups.
8. Article 21 shall apply mutatis mutandis as regards the chair of the Advisory Groups.