The Management Board is part of the administrative and management structure of the Agency. It has a supervisory role with general responsibility for budgetary and planning matters; the appointment of the Executive Director, the members and the members of the Board(s) of Appeal and the reporting of the Agency's activities to EU institutions.

It is composed of one representative of each Member State and two representatives of the Commission, all with the right to vote, each one with an alternate in case of absence.

The Management Board also includes six representatives, without a right to vote, representing, at European level, the following stakeholders:

• Railway undertakings
• Infrastructure managers
• The railway industry
• Trade-union organisations
• Passengers
• Freight customers.
• The Management Board meets at least twice a year.

The Management Board succeeded to the Administrative Board. All decisions which have been adopted by the Administrative Board continue to be applicable, unless they are repealed by a new decision adopted by the Management Board.

Management Board

All the Management Board members are appointed for a term of office of four years and may be renewed. They are appointed as well as their alternates in the light of their knowledge of the Agency’s core business, taking into account relevant managerial, administrative and budgetary skills.

Norway participates as a Board member without a right to vote as it is one of the Member States of the European Economic Area (EEA).

The chairperson of the Management Board is Ms Paloma Iribas Forcat, representing Spain, and the deputy chairperson is Ms Kaisa SAINIO, representing Finland.

Executive Board

The Executive Board’s main function is to assist the Management Board, in particular, by preparing the decisions to be adopted by it, to ensure an adequate follow up to the findings and recommendations after investigations and the various internal or external audits. It also supports and advises the Executive Director in the implementation the Management Board decisions, with a view to reinforcing supervision of administrative and budgetary management.

Where necessary, on grounds of urgency, it can take certain provisional decisions on behalf of the Management Board, in particular on administrative and budgetary matters, subject to a mandate received from the Management Board.

It is composed of the following Management Board members: the chairperson of the Management Board (acting as the chairperson of the Executive Board), four representatives of Member States and one representative of the Commission in the Management Board. The four representatives of the Member States are appointed by the Management Board on the basis of their relevant competence and experience. The Executive Board’s deputy Chairperson is Mr. Hinne GROOT representing the Netherlands.

The Executive Board meets at least every three months and, where possible, not less than two weeks prior to the meeting of the Management Board.

Secretariat

The Executive Director is responsible for providing the secretariat for both the Management Board and the Executive Board. The Executive Office of the Agency carries out the practical work.