Article 98
Start of the Board's activities
1.
The Board shall become fully operational by 1 January 2015.
2.
The Commission shall be responsible for the establishment and initial operation of the Board until the Board has the operational capacity to implement its own budget. For that purpose:
(a)
until the Chair takes up his or her duties following his or her appointment by the Council in accordance with Article 56, the Commission may designate a Commission official to act as interim Chair and exercise the duties assigned to the Chair;
(b)
by way of derogation from Article 50(1)(l) and until the adoption of a decision as referred to in Article 50(3), the interim Chair shall exercise the appointing authority powers;
(c)
the Commission may offer assistance to the Board, in particular by seconding Commission officials to carry out the activities of the agency under the responsibility of the interim Chair or the Chair.
3.
The interim Chair may authorise all payments covered by appropriations entered in the Board's budget and may conclude contracts, including staff contracts.