When carrying out the tasks conferred upon them by this Regulation, the members of the Board of Supervisors shall act independently and objectively in the sole interest of the Union as a whole and shall neither seek nor take instructions from Union institutions or bodies, from any government or from any other public or private body.

Member States, Union institutions or bodies and any other public or private body, shall not seek to influence the members of the Board of Supervisors in the performance of their tasks.

Members of the Board of Supervisors, the Chairperson as well as non-voting representatives and observers participating in the meetings of the Board of Supervisors shall, before such meetings, accurately and completely declare the absence or existence of any interest which might be considered prejudicial to their independence in relation to any items on the agenda, and shall abstain from participating in the discussion of, and voting upon, such points.

The Board of Supervisors shall lay down, in its rules of procedure, the practical arrangements for the rule on declaration of interest referred to in paragraph 3 and for the prevention and the management of conflict of interest.