1. A High-Level Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Committee (High-Level Committee) shall be established. It shall be composed of representatives of the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission and the Member States.
The Asylum Agency, the and the International Organization for Migration shall be invited to attend the meetings of the High-Level Committee.
Other relevant organisations, including civil society organisations, may be invited to attend the meetings of the High-Level Committee in areas of their expertise.
Representatives of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland shall be invited to attend the meetings of the High-Level Committee where they have indicated their intention to be associated with the implementation of the Union Plan.
2. The High-Level Committee shall be chaired by the Commission. It shall meet at least once a year and whenever necessary at the invitation of the Commission or at a request of a Member State or of the European Parliament.
3. The High-Level Committee shall advise the Commission on issues related to the implementation of the Union Framework, including on a recommended number of persons to be admitted and the regions or third countries from which such admission is to be undertaken, taking into account the Projected Global Resettlement Needs. It may make recommendations.
The Commission shall publish the minutes of the meetings of the High-Level Committee, unless such publication would undermine the protection of any public or private interest as provided for in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council (14).
4. The Commission shall consult the High-Level Committee and shall take into account the outcome of the meetings of the High-Level Committee with regard to issues related to the implementation of the Union Framework.
5. Following the outcome of the meetings of the High-Level Committee pursuant to this Article, the Commission shall invite Member States to indicate the details of their participation and of their contribution on a voluntary basis to the total number of persons to be admitted including the type of admission and the regions or third countries from which admission shall take place in accordance with Articles 4 and 8.
6. The Commission, on its own initiative or following a recommendation by one or more Member States or the European Parliament, shall convene a meeting of the High-Level Committee for the purpose of discussing the possible admission of persons pursuant to Article 8(6), with a view to responding to new circumstances, such as an unforeseen humanitarian crisis in regions or third countries that are not included in the Union Plan.
7. The High-Level Committee may, if necessary, establish its rules of procedure.
14. Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43). ↩︎