Article 21 — Appointment, extension of the term of office and removal from office

1. The Executive Director shall be appointed by the Management Board on grounds of merit and of documented competence and experience relevant for the maritime sector, from a list of candidates proposed by the Commission following an open and transparent selection procedure which shall respect the principle of gender balance and geographical balance. 2. Before appointment, the candidate selected by the Management Board shall be invited to make a statement to the competent committee of the European Parliament and to answer questions posed by its members. 3. For the purpose of concluding the contract of the Executive Director, the Agency shall be represented by the Chairperson of the Management Board. 4. The term of office of the Executive Director shall be five years. In due time before the end of that period, the Commission shall undertake an assessment that takes into account an evaluation of the Executive Director’s performance and the Agency’s future tasks and challenges and submit it to the Management Board for information together with the proposal for term of office renewal. 5. The Management Board, acting on a proposal from the Commission, taking into account the assessment referred to in paragraph 4, may extend once the term of office of the Executive Director, for not more than five years. The Management Board shall inform the European Parliament and the Council about its intention to extend the Executive Director’s term of office. Before the Management Board takes a decision to extend the term of office of the Executive Director, the Executive Director may be invited to make a statement to the competent committee of the European Parliament and to answer questions posed by its members. 6. An Executive Director whose term of office has been extended may not participate in another selection procedure for the same post. 7. The Executive Director may be removed from office only upon a decision of the Management Board acting on a proposal which can be submitted by either the Commission or at least one third of the members of the Management Board with voting rights. 8. The Executive Director shall be engaged as a temporary agent of the Agency under Article 2(a) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants.