OCG - User contributions [en-gb]

Delegate's Guide

2025-05-27T08:45:43Z

Schmidth: /* Annex 1- ETSI Secretariat Contacts */

== Introduction ==

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of an ETSI Delegate.

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide together with the ETSI Directives version 49, released June 2024. If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The structure of ETSI consists of a General Assembly, a Board, a National Standards Organizations Group, a National Standardisation Bodies Group, Technical Groups composed of Technical Committees, ETSI Projects, and ETSI Partnership Projects, Special Committees, Industry Specification Groups, Software Development Groups and Coordination Groups. The ETSI Secretariat is headed by the Director-General.

The scope of this guide covers Technical Committees (TCs), Special Committees (SCs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), and Software Development Groups (SDGs). It does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP and oneM2M).

== Rights, Obligations and Responsibilities of an ETSI delegate ==

=== ETSI Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Antitrust Compliance policies ===
An ETSI delegate participating in the technical work of ETSI shall be aware of ETSI IPR policy and Antitrust Compliance policies as detailed in the ETSI Directives. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Policy Annex 6, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance.
</pre>

=== Code of Conduct for ETSI delegates===
The Code of Conduct is intended as a broad guide to appropriate behaviour while carrying out activities in or for ETSI, and to encourage certain collaborative styles of interaction. The respect of other delegates, the ETSI Secretariat and the professional culture of standardization is foremost.

ETSI operates according to the principles of international standardisation: consensus, transparency, openness, impartiality, effectiveness, relevance, and coherence.

An ETSI delegate:

- Should discuss and debate in a moderate, professional, and respectful manner without prejudice.

- Is expected to act in good faith and with due care and diligence, avoid collusive, anticompetitive, or dominant behaviour and to promote a culture of fair and ethical behaviour.

- Is expected to act on a fully informed basis and take decisions with due diligence, in order to engage constructively in ETSI activities.

- Is invited to actively participate in the work of ETSI, providing timely contributions uploaded to the ETSI portal.

- Shall value diversity and act against any discrimination, as outlined in the ETSI Values, e.g. regarding gender, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

- Shall acknowledge that speakers should not be interrupted; delegates may speak once recognized by the Convenor/Chair of the call or meeting. Speakers should keep their interventions short and to the point.

- Should take the views of all meeting attendees (including those whose first language is not English) into consideration.

- Shall inform the Chair or the ETSI Secretariat of any issue requiring escalation so a solution may be reached in a timely manner.

- Shall endeavour to avoid conflict of interest. If any actual or potential conflicts of interest are identified, they shall immediately be disclosed through the appropriate mechanisms.

- Shall take into account the interests and the objectives of the European Union, e.g. as laid down in EU legislation, EU policy documents or outlined by ETSI's Counsellors, when developing deliverables in support of EU policies and legislation.

<pre>References: Code of Conduct for ETSI Members; ETSI Values.
</pre>

== Technical Organisation==

=== Introduction ===
Participation in the technical work is governed by the ETSI Technical Working Procedures (TWPs) and ETSI Drafting Rules (EDRs) as defined in the ETSI Directives.

An ETSI Technical Group (TC, ISG, SC, SDG) provides a forum for technical discussions and development of the work programme that lead to the publication of ETSI deliverables.

A TC is the primary decision-making body for all matters that fall within its Terms of Reference (ToR) and may establish Working Groups (WGs), if required. The activity is organised around a set of ETSI work items addressing a specific technology area.

A SC may be established by the General Assembly (GA) for defined tasks and follows the ETSI Technical Working Procedures (TWPs) unless otherwise stipulated in their ToR.

An ISG is an activity organised around a set of ETSI Work Items addressing a specific technology area as defined in the ToR of the ISG and may establish Working Groups, if required.

An SDG is a Software or open-source Software development activity hosted by ETSI addressing a specific technology area where the Software and related documentation is made publicly available. An SDG does not produce standards.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs clauses 1.1,3.1 & 7.
</pre>

=== Participation in TB or SC technical activities ===
A delegate from an ETSI Full and Associate member has the right to participate in any ETSI TC or SC meeting, access documents and provide contributions.

A delegate may only represent one (1) organisation during a TC or SC meeting and shall not change their registration from one (1) organisation to another during the meeting.

Associations which are Full or Associate members shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views. A maximum of one (1) nominated technical expert per meeting shall be allowed to attend and participate in meetings.

A delegate subscribed to the TC or SC membership list with their EOL account email address is eligible for voting by correspondence (Decision tool or Remote Consensus tool).

Prior to participating to a TC or SC meeting, every delegate shall register by logging in the ETSI portal/Meetings application with their ETSI-On-Line (EOL) account.

Upon registration to a TC or SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TC/SC membership list, if not already subscribed.

An applicant for Full or Associate membership (Applicant member), who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat may attend ETSI TC or SC meetings subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement) may attend ETSI TC/SC meetings.

A Counsellor may attend meetings of a TC/SC and participate in the work without the right to vote.

A Guest may attend ETSI TC or SC meetings as a non-member or as an ETSI Observer, following authorisation by the Chair for three meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter).

An ETSI Observer and an ETSI non-member may present a document for Information, and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

An ETSI Observer is not permitted to:

· submit written contributions for discussion or decision.

· contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective Technical Group.

· vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process.

· subscribe to a TC or SC mailing list.

The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; ETSI TWPs clauses 1.4, 1.5.4 and 1.5.5 & 1.8.1.
</pre>

=== Participation in ISG activities ===
The singularity of an Industry Specification Group is that each one has a relative Agreement and an Annex entitled “Specific rules complementing the ETSI Technical Working Procedures applying to the ISG” that sets out the operational rules, voting rules, duration, budget mechanism.

=== '''ETSI Full and Associate Members''' ===
An ETSI Full and Associate Member may participate in the work of any ISG without the need to sign an ISG Agreement.

An Applicant to Full or Associate membership may be authorized by the Director-General to attend meetings of an ISG and to participate in the work of the ISG with the right to vote, before the application to ETSI membership is formally approved by the General Assembly.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

Prior to participating to an ISG meeting, every delegate shall register by logging in the ETSI portal/Meeting Application with their ETSI-On-Line (EOL) account.

The right to vote is reserved for ISG Members only. The voting rules for each ISG are defined in the ISG ToR.

An ETSI member is subscribed to the ISG membership list (mailing list) upon registration to an ISG meeting.

=== '''Non-ETSI members''' ===
Participation of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) in the technical work of an ISG is subject to the signature of the relative ISG Participant Agreement. The ISG Participant Agreement imposes the ETSI IPR Policy.

Meeting fees are stipulated in each ISG Participant Agreement, Annex 5, and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

An ISG Participant can ONLY access the ISG documents of the ISG(s) for which the agreement(s) has been signed.

An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur and/or a WG Vice-Chair position.

An ISG Participant may not hold a Chair or a WG Chair position.

An ETSI Observer may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

An ISG Guest may attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorized by the ISG Chair.

An ISG Guest may not be subscribed to the ISG membership list.

A Counsellor can attend an ISG meeting without the need to sign an ISG agreement.

Neither a Counsellor or a non-ETSI member shall support new work items, vote or hold an ISG leadership position.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement) may attend ISG meetings.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; ETSI TWPs clauses 3.4, 3.5 and 3.7.
</pre>

=== Participation in '''SDG activities''' ===
Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted, participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may attend an SDG meeting without the right to vote or contribute to the Software or related documentation. In order to contribute to the Software or related documentation, the Counsellor shall agree to be bound by the terms of the Contributor’s Licence Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; ETSI TWPs clauses 7.4, 7.5 and 7.7.
</pre>

=== '''Preparing for an ETSI meeting (physical or online)''' ===
Meetings are held to coordinate the technical activities, discuss important issues and make decisions.

They can be face-to-face at ETSI headquarters in Valbonne-Sophia Antipolis, France, at an external location, online or hybrid.

The nearest airport to ETSI is Nice Côte d’Azur (NCE) and the nearest train station is Antibes.

See the ETSI webpage on how to reach ETSI and find a hotel room close by.

An ETSI delegate shall take note of the following:

· Registration before the meeting via the ETSI portal.

· Details of the meeting invitation including the QR code for the printing of the meeting badge, if the meeting is hosted at ETSI.

· Review of the agenda and in particular the topics for decision or vote (election, New Work Item (NWI) proposal, draft deliverable for approval).

· Awareness of the guidelines for contributions and deliverables:

* IPR
* Copyright
* Trademarks
* Third party material
<pre>References: References: ETSI TWPs clauses 1.5.4; ETSI IPR Guide; Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance, clause C.4.1; ETSI Rules of Procedure, Annex 6; ETSI Drafting Rules, Clause 4.
</pre>

=== Contributing to the technical activity ===
The technical experts collaborate to produce ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards, ETSI Harmonised European Standards under Standardisation Requests from the European Commission, Specifications, Reports, White Papers and Publicly Available Specifications.

Contributions related to drafting of the aforementioned deliverables shall comply with ETSI Drafting Rules.

ETSI Delegates shall follow the Technical Working Procedures (TWPs) on the submission of contributions. Special attention shall be given to the purpose of the contribution: Decision, or Discussion, or Information.

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board, as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC/SC proposes Work Item(s) identified in a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSB vote.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs clauses 1.4, 1.6.1.2.3, 1.6.3.2, 1.6.5.2 and 2.2.2; RoPs Articles 20 and 21, TWPs Annex N.
</pre>

=== Special Task Force/Testing Task Force ===
A Special Task Force (STF) or a Testing Task Force (TTF) is a team of highly skilled experts working together to draft an ETSI standard or report under the technical guidance of an ETSI TC, SC, ISG or SDG.

A delegate may submit a new STF/TTF proposal, including the related Work Items, supported by at least four (4) ETSI members for an approval by the Reference Body.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in October/November and in May/June (urgent requests only) time periods.

The European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) is the agency handling STF proposals funded by EC/EFTA.

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

All delegates from ETSI members and ISG Participants who are prepared to actively contribute to the management of the STF/TTF shall be entitled to participate in the Steering Committee.

Applications from ETSI members are encouraged.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs clauses 1.10, 1.11 and Annex H; ETSI Chair’s Guide “STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities”; ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=== '''Technical Group Open Sessions''' ===
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at [https://ocgwiki.etsi.org/index.php?title=Chair%27s_Guide portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions]

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

== ETSI Working Tools ==
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the ETSI portal for which an ETSI on-line (EOL) account (username and password) is required. See also Reset my password, Change my password and Update my personal contact details.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [https://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

=== ETSI portal ===
The tabs Meetings, Contributions, Work Programme and Drafts are the most relevant areas on a TB/ISG/SC portal page.
* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershipList/ Subscribe] to a TC/SC/ISG/SDG e-mail/membership list under Email archives.
* See [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Contributions_application help page] for the Contribution’s application.
* See [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Latest_Drafts help page] on Drafts application.

* View [https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff contact details for ETSI committee support staff.]
* View all ETSI meetings in the [https://portal.etsi.org/Meetings.aspx#/ Meeting Calendar database.]
* See additional guidance on the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=FAQs FAQ].

=== ETSI portal applications ===
[http://webapp.etsi.org/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp The ETSI Work Programme] (EWP) contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI TCs, SCs SDGs and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.

[http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.

The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the TCs, SCs SDGs and ISGs in their decision-making processes by the means of a vote. Formal voting procedures are predefined, i.e. the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.

The [http://portal.etsi.org/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards under a Standardisation Request, and also enables consultation and/or results of votes on such documents.

=== Useful links to find out more ===
ETSI Strategy: https://www.etsi.org/about/our-strategy

ETSI in Europe: https://www.etsi.org/about/etsi-in-europe

ETSI Worldwide: https://www.etsi.org/about/etsi-worldwide

ETSI Directives: https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives

ETSI Drafting Rules: https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/ETSI-Drafting-Rules

ETSI Brands and Trademarks: https://www.etsi.org/media-library/brand-and-trademarks

Subscribe to the ETSI magazine ENJOY!: https://www.etsi.org/newsroom/magazine

Read the ETSI news and press releases: https://www.etsi.org/newsroom/newspressrelease

See ETSI [https://www.etsi.org/technologies technology pages] and [https://www.etsi.org/committees our committees] for an overview of the current areas of work in ETSI.

Read the [https://www.etsi.org/media-library/work-programme-and-annual-reports ETSI Work Programme] brochure and annual reports

Find and download published ETSI standards via the [https://www.etsi.org/standards-search ETSI Standards Search]

The [https://labs.etsi.org/ ETSI Labs] platform for ETSI members to collaborate and experiment with code around ETSI standardised technologies, developing demos, prototypes and proofs of concept.

The [https://forge.etsi.org/ ETSI Forge] is for users of ETSI standards to download software produced collaboratively by ETSI delegates.

'''Other ETSI Guides:'''
* [https://ocgwiki.etsi.org/index.php?title=Chair%27s_Guide Chair’s Guide].
* [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide Rapporteur's Guide].
* [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/ETSI-STF-TTF-Experts-guide STF/TTF Expert’s Guide].
* [https://portal.etsi.org/guides/MemberOfficialContacts.pdf Member Official Contacts’ Guide].
* [https://portal.etsi.org/Portals/0/TBpages/nso/Docs/NSOs_Guide.pdf?ver=2022-03-29-154044-577 NSO Guide].
* [https://ocgwiki.etsi.org/index.php?title=Meeting_Host_Guidelines Meeting Host guidelines].

* [https://portal.etsi.org/Portals/0/TBpages/edithelp/Docs/Guides/Use_gender_inclusive_language.pdf Guide in use of gender inclusive language for ETSI deliverables].
* [https://www.etsi.org/e-brochure/WritingWorldClassStandards/mobile/index.html#p=1 Writing World Class Standards].
* [https://www.etsi.org/e-brochure/ETSIAchievingTechnicalExcellenceBrochure202324/mobile/index.html#p=1 Achieving Technical Excellence].

=== ETSI Information Policy ===
[[File:ETSI Information Policy r1.png|frameless|714x714px]]

[[File:Legend Information Policy.PNG|frameless|696x696px]]

== Annex 1- ETSI Secretariat Contacts ==
The ETSI Secretariat provides:
* guidance to ETSI members and delegates on ETSI rules, best practices and on writing high quality standards
* administrative support to ETSI Technical Groups
* assistance in the promotion of Technical Group activities outside of ETSI.

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available for delegates.
{| class="wikitable"
!Secretariat team
!Role
!Web page
|-
|Committee Support Staff Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to the technical organisation and Standardisation Requests coordination.
|https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff<nowiki/> Contacts:
[mailto:ESPsupport@etsi.org ESPsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:ISGsupport@etsi.org ISGsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:SRteam@etsi.org SRteam@etsi.org]

|-
|Centre<nowiki/> for Tes<nowiki/>ti<nowiki/>ng and Inte<nowiki/>roperability (CTI)<nowiki/>
|Support of the validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
|[https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/]
Cont<nowiki/>act:
[mailto:CTI support@etsi.org CTI_support@etsi.org]
|-
|Software and Standards (SNS)
|Secreta<nowiki/><nowiki/>riat support to software development groups.
|Contact: [mailto:SDGsupport@etsi.org SDGsupport@etsi.org]
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:EditHelp@etsi.org editHelp@etsi.org]
|-
|IT Help<nowiki/>desk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
|Contact: [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees.
Liaison with the Official member contact.
|https://www.etsi.org/membership<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Membership@etsi.org membership@etsi.org]
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects.
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
Contact: [mailto:Stflink@etsi.org stflink@etsi.org]
|-
|Communications
|Management of the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine.
Management of the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
|https://www.etsi.org/newsroom<nowiki/>
Contacts: [mailto:COM@etsi.org COM@etsi.org]; [mailto:Info@etsi.org info@]<nowiki/>[mailto:Info@etsi.org etsi.org]
|-
|Events
|Management of the endorsements of events (seminars, plugtests, webinars) and negotiation of special conference rates (speaking slots and stands).
Organisation and promotion of ETSI workshops.
|https://www.etsi.org/events<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Events@etsi.org events@etsi.org]
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks.
Provision of legal advice upon request.
|https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
Contact: [mailto:Legal@etsi.org legal@etsi.org]
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
|https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
Contact: [mailto:Partnerships@etsi.org partnerships@etsi.org]
|-
|Policy Affairs
|Driving policy engagement, regulatory alignment, EU-funded international projects in digital standardisation, global cooperation and partnerships, and strategic outreach with policymakers and other stakeholders for ETSI
|Contact: [mailto:Policy@etsi.org policy@etsi.org]
|}

== Annex 2 - Abbreviations ==
For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

CCLA Corporate Contribution License Agreement

CTI ETSI Centre for Testing and Interoperability team

EC European Commission

EDR ETSI Drafting Rules

EFTA European Free Trade Association

EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency

EN European Standard

EOL ETSI On-Line

EP ETSI Project

EPP ETSI Partnership Project

ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute

EWP ETSI Work Programme

GA General Assembly

IPR Intellectual Property Rights

ISG Industry Specification Group

OCG Operational Co-ordination Group

OPS ETSI Operations Division

NSBG National Standardisation Bodies Group

NSOG National Standards Organisations Group

NWI New Work Item

RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure

SC Special Committee

SReq Standardisation Request

SEP Standard Essential Patents

SNS ETSI Software and Standards team

SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process

SReq Standardisation Request

STF Special Task Force

TB Technical Body

TC Technical Committee

TG Technical Group

ToR Terms of Reference

TTF Testing Task Force

TWPs Technical Working Procedures

WG Working Group

WISR Work Item Standardisation Request

Chair's Guide

2025-05-27T08:42:40Z

Schmidth: /* ETSI working tools and services */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Group (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to the ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Facilitate discussions across different cultures inclusively, so that decisions align with ETSI Values, protection of minority rights, gender neutrality etc
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Remind the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members at the start of each meeting
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v49 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships, see the ''External Cooperation with ETSI Partners'' section of this guide.)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorised by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings, or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorised by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted, participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see the section ''Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality'' of this guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at [https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions]

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
Rules of Procedure, Annex 6: ETSI Intellectual Property Rights Policy.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, '''the Chair shall apply''' '''the definition of consensus:'''<blockquote>A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.</blockquote>'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

By definition, in consensus no decision is made against the will of a minority. If significant concerns remain unresolved, a proposal can be stopped or be submitted to a vote. This implies the Technical Group shall work on solutions to address minority concerns.

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case when there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

In the event of a change in the supporting organisation of an ISG Chair, the move should be included in the minutes of the next ISG meeting. If no ISG meeting is planned in the immediate future, the ISG is to be informed by email.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|First step towards formalising contacts with a new partner.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) [Partner shall be a legal entity]
- Political - Marketing - Technical
|Establishment of a framework enabling exchange of information on technical grounds and identification of areas of mutual interest.
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki>
- Political - Marketing - Technical 
|Enabling technical collaboration with the possibility of Supplements to a CA. 
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is available in TWPs, Annex P. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) 
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of deliverables.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A [https://www.etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf PAS Process Guide] is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/AgreementView/AgreementSearch.asp ETSI Partnership portfolio] and the description of the [https://portal.etsi.org/Search/Partnership-agreements/Partnership-Establishment Partnership Engagement Process] are available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

A full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting, set up as an Open Session, as previously described in this guide, may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReqs). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the ICT RP and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

<pre>References:
AUWP: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
ICT RP:https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/
</pre>
=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The Chair is encouraged to contact the ETSI TO with regards to requests involving ETSI Secretariat services, as detailed in the table below.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
!Role
! Web page
|-
|Committee Support Staff Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to the technical organisation and Standardisation Requests coordination.
|https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff<nowiki/> Contacts:
[mailto:ESPsupport@etsi.org ESPsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:ISGsupport@etsi.org ISGsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:SRteam@etsi.org SRteam@etsi.org]

|-
|Centre<nowiki/> for Tes<nowiki/>ti<nowiki/>ng and Inte<nowiki/>roperability (CTI)<nowiki/>
| Support of the validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
|[https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/]
Cont<nowiki/>act:
[mailto:CTI support@etsi.org CTI_support@etsi.org]
|-
|Software and Standards (SNS)
|Secreta<nowiki/><nowiki/>riat support to software development groups.
|Contact: [mailto:SDGsupport@etsi.org SDGsupport@etsi.org]
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:EditHelp@etsi.org editHelp@etsi.org]
|-
|IT Help<nowiki/>desk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
|Contact: [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees.
Liaison with the Official member contact.
|https://www.etsi.org/membership<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Membership@etsi.org membership@etsi.org]
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects.
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
Contact: [mailto:Stflink@etsi.org stflink@etsi.org]
|-
|Communications
|Management of the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine.
Management of the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
|https://www.etsi.org/newsroom<nowiki/>
Contacts: [mailto:COM@etsi.org COM@etsi.org]; [mailto:Info@etsi.org info@]<nowiki/>[mailto:Info@etsi.org etsi.org]
|-
|Events
|Management of the endorsements of events (seminars, plugtests, webinars) and negotiation of special conference rates (speaking slots and stands).
Organisation and promotion of ETSI workshops.
|https://www.etsi.org/events<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Events@etsi.org events@etsi.org]
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks.
Provision of legal advice upon request.
|https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
Contact: [mailto:Legal@etsi.org legal@etsi.org]
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
|https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
Contact: [mailto:Partnerships@etsi.org partnerships@etsi.org]
|-
|Policy Affairs
|Driving policy engagement, regulatory alignment, EU-funded international projects in digital standardisation, global cooperation and partnerships, and strategic outreach with policymakers and other stakeholders for ETSI
|Contact: [mailto: Policy@etsi.org policy@etsi.org]
|}

=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

* AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
* CA Co-operation Agreement
* CG Coordination Group
* CTI ETSI Centre for Testing and Interoperability team
* DG ETSI Director General

* EC European Commission
* EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
* EG ETSI Guide
* EFTA European Free Trade Association
* EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
* EN European Standard
* ENAP EN Approval Procedure
* EOL ETSI on-line
* EP ETSI Project
* EPP ETSI Partnership Project
* ES ETSI Standard
* ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
* FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
* GR Group Report
* GS Group Specification
* ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
* IPR Intellectual Property Right
* ISG Industry Specification Group
* LOI Letter of Intent
* LS Liaison Statement
* MOU Memorandum of Understanding
* NSBG National Standardisation Bodies Group
* NSOG National Standards Organisations Group
* NWI New Work Item
* OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
* OPS ETSI Operations Division
* PAS Publicly Available Specification
* PEP Partnership Engagement Process
* RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
* SC Special Committee
* SDG Software Development Group

* SG Steering Group
* SEP Standard Essential Patents
* SNS ETSI Software and Standards team
* SR Special Report
* SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
* SReq Standardisation Request
* STF Special Task Force
* TB Technical Body
* TG Technical Group
* TC Technical Committee
* TO Technical Officer
* ToR Terms of Reference
* TR Technical Report
* TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
* TWPs Technical Working Procedures

* WG Working Group
* WISR Work Item Standardisation Request

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2025-05-26T09:55:42Z

Schmidth: /* ETSI Secretariat Contacts */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Group (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to the ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Facilitate discussions across different cultures inclusively, so that decisions align with ETSI Values, protection of minority rights, gender neutrality etc
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Remind the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members at the start of each meeting
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v49 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships, see the ''External Cooperation with ETSI Partners'' section of this guide.)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorised by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings, or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorised by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted, participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see the section ''Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality'' of this guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at [https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions]

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
Rules of Procedure, Annex 6: ETSI Intellectual Property Rights Policy.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, '''the Chair shall apply''' '''the definition of consensus:'''<blockquote>A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.</blockquote>'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

By definition, in consensus no decision is made against the will of a minority. If significant concerns remain unresolved, a proposal can be stopped or be submitted to a vote. This implies the Technical Group shall work on solutions to address minority concerns.

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case when there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

In the event of a change in the supporting organisation of an ISG Chair, the move should be included in the minutes of the next ISG meeting. If no ISG meeting is planned in the immediate future, the ISG is to be informed by email.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|First step towards formalising contacts with a new partner.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) [Partner shall be a legal entity]
- Political - Marketing - Technical
|Establishment of a framework enabling exchange of information on technical grounds and identification of areas of mutual interest.
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki>
- Political - Marketing - Technical 
|Enabling technical collaboration with the possibility of Supplements to a CA. 
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is available in TWPs, Annex P. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) 
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of deliverables.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A [https://www.etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf PAS Process Guide] is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/AgreementView/AgreementSearch.asp ETSI Partnership portfolio] and the description of the [https://portal.etsi.org/Search/Partnership-agreements/Partnership-Establishment Partnership Engagement Process] are available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

A full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting, set up as an Open Session, as previously described in this guide, may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReqs). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the ICT RP and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

<pre>References:
AUWP: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
ICT RP:https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/
</pre>
=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The Chair is encouraged to contact the ETSI TO with regards to requests involving ETSI Secretariat services, as detailed in the table below.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
!Role
! Web page
|-
|Committee Support Staff Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to the technical organisation and Standardisation Requests coordination.
|https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff<nowiki/> Contacts:
[mailto:ESPsupport@etsi.org ESPsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:ISGsupport@etsi.org ISGsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:SRteam@etsi.org SRteam@etsi.org]

|-
|Centre<nowiki/> for Tes<nowiki/>ti<nowiki/>ng and Inte<nowiki/>roperability (CTI)<nowiki/>
| Support of the validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
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=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

* AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
* CA Co-operation Agreement
* CG Coordination Group
* CTI ETSI Centre for Testing and Interoperability team
* DG ETSI Director General

* EC European Commission
* EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
* EG ETSI Guide
* EFTA European Free Trade Association
* EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
* EN European Standard
* ENAP EN Approval Procedure
* EOL ETSI on-line
* EP ETSI Project
* EPP ETSI Partnership Project
* ES ETSI Standard
* ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
* FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
* GR Group Report
* GS Group Specification
* ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
* IPR Intellectual Property Right
* ISG Industry Specification Group
* LOI Letter of Intent
* LS Liaison Statement
* MOU Memorandum of Understanding
* NSBG National Standardisation Bodies Group
* NSOG National Standards Organisations Group
* NWI New Work Item
* OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
* OPS ETSI Operations Division
* PAS Publicly Available Specification
* PEP Partnership Engagement Process
* RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
* SC Special Committee
* SDG Software Development Group

* SG Steering Group
* SEP Standard Essential Patents
* SNS ETSI Software and Standards team
* SR Special Report
* SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
* SReq Standardisation Request
* STF Special Task Force
* TB Technical Body
* TG Technical Group
* TC Technical Committee
* TO Technical Officer
* ToR Terms of Reference
* TR Technical Report
* TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
* TWPs Technical Working Procedures

* WG Working Group
* WISR Work Item Standardisation Request

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T13:58:04Z

Schmidth: /* ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
Rules of Procedure, Annex 6: ETSI Intellectual Property Rights Policy.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|First step towards formalising contacts with a new partner.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|Establishment of a framework enabling exchange of information on technical grounds and identification of areas of mutual interest.
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki>
- Political - Marketing - Technical 
|Enabling technical collaboration with the possibility of Supplements to a CA. 
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of deliverables.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

<pre>References:
AUWP: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
ICT RP:https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/
</pre>
=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The Chair is encouraged to contact the ETSI TO with regards to requests involving ETSI Secretariat services, as detailed in the table below.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
!Role
! Web page
|-
|Committee Support Staff Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to the technical organisation and Standardisation Requests coordination.
|https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff<nowiki/> Contacts:
[mailto:ESPsupport@etsi.org ESPsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:ISGsupport@etsi.org ISGsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:SRteam@etsi.org SRteam@etsi.org]

|-
|Centre<nowiki/> for Tes<nowiki/>ti<nowiki/>ng and Inte<nowiki/>roperability (CTI)<nowiki/>
| Support of the validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
|[https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/]
Cont<nowiki/>act:
[mailto:CTI support@etsi.org CTI_support@etsi.org]
|-
|Software and Standards (SNS)
|Secreta<nowiki/><nowiki/>riat support to software development groups.
|Contact: [mailto:SDGsupport@etsi.org SDGsupport@etsi.org]
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:EditHelp@etsi.org editHelp@etsi.org]
|-
|IT Help<nowiki/>desk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
|Contact: [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees.
Liaison with the Official member contact.
|https://www.etsi.org/membership<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Membership@etsi.org membership@etsi.org]
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects.
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
Contact: [mailto:Stflink@etsi.org stflink@etsi.org]
|-
|Communications
|Management of the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine.
Management of the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
|https://www.etsi.org/newsroom<nowiki/>
Contacts: [mailto:COM@etsi.org COM@etsi.org]; [mailto:Info@etsi.org info@]<nowiki/>[mailto:Info@etsi.org etsi.org]
|-
|Events
|Management of the endorsements of events (seminars, plugtests, webinars) and negotiation of special conference rates (speaking slots and stands).
Organisation and promotion of ETSI workshops.
|https://www.etsi.org/events<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Events@etsi.org events@etsi.org]
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks.
Provision of legal advice upon request.
|https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
Contact: [mailto:Legal@etsi.org legal@etsi.org]
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
|https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
Contact: [mailto:Partnerships@etsi.org partnerships@etsi.org]
|}

=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

* AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
* CA Co-operation Agreement
* CG Coordination Group
* CTI ETSI Centre for Testing and Interoperability team
* DG ETSI Director General

* EC European Commission
* EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
* EG ETSI Guide
* EFTA European Free Trade Association
* EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
* EN European Standard
* ENAP EN Approval Procedure
* EOL ETSI on-line
* EP ETSI Project
* EPP ETSI Partnership Project
* ES ETSI Standard
* ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
* FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
* GR Group Report
* GS Group Specification
* ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
* IPR Intellectual Property Right
* ISG Industry Specification Group
* LOI Letter of Intent
* LS Liaison Statement
* MOU Memorandum of Understanding
* NSBG National Standardisation Bodies Group
* NSOG National Standards Organisations Group
* NWI New Work Item
* OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
* OPS ETSI Operations Division
* PAS Publicly Available Specification
* PEP Partnership Engagement Process
* RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
* SC Special Committee
* SDG Software Development Group

* SG Steering Group
* SEP Standard Essential Patents
* SNS ETSI Software and Standards team
* SR Special Report
* SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
* SReq Standardisation Request
* STF Special Task Force
* TB Technical Body
* TG Technical Group
* TC Technical Committee
* TO Technical Officer
* ToR Terms of Reference
* TR Technical Report
* TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
* TWPs Technical Working Procedures

* WG Working Group
* WISR Work Item Standardisation Request

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T13:55:54Z

Schmidth: /* Overview of partnership agreements */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
Rules of Procedure, Annex 6: ETSI Intellectual Property Rights Policy.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|First step towards formalising contacts with a new partner.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|Establishment of a framework enabling exchange of information on technical grounds and identification of areas of mutual interest.
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki>
- Political - Marketing - Technical 
|Enabling technical collaboration with the possibility of Supplements to a CA. 
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

<pre>References:
AUWP: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
ICT RP:https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/
</pre>
=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The Chair is encouraged to contact the ETSI TO with regards to requests involving ETSI Secretariat services, as detailed in the table below.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
!Role
! Web page
|-
|Committee Support Staff Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to the technical organisation and Standardisation Requests coordination.
|https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff<nowiki/> Contacts:
[mailto:ESPsupport@etsi.org ESPsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:ISGsupport@etsi.org ISGsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:SRteam@etsi.org SRteam@etsi.org]

|-
|Centre<nowiki/> for Tes<nowiki/>ti<nowiki/>ng and Inte<nowiki/>roperability (CTI)<nowiki/>
| Support of the validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
|[https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/]
Cont<nowiki/>act:
[mailto:CTI support@etsi.org CTI_support@etsi.org]
|-
|Software and Standards (SNS)
|Secreta<nowiki/><nowiki/>riat support to software development groups.
|Contact: [mailto:SDGsupport@etsi.org SDGsupport@etsi.org]
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:EditHelp@etsi.org editHelp@etsi.org]
|-
|IT Help<nowiki/>desk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
|Contact: [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees.
Liaison with the Official member contact.
|https://www.etsi.org/membership<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Membership@etsi.org membership@etsi.org]
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects.
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
Contact: [mailto:Stflink@etsi.org stflink@etsi.org]
|-
|Communications
|Management of the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine.
Management of the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
|https://www.etsi.org/newsroom<nowiki/>
Contacts: [mailto:COM@etsi.org COM@etsi.org]; [mailto:Info@etsi.org info@]<nowiki/>[mailto:Info@etsi.org etsi.org]
|-
|Events
|Management of the endorsements of events (seminars, plugtests, webinars) and negotiation of special conference rates (speaking slots and stands).
Organisation and promotion of ETSI workshops.
|https://www.etsi.org/events<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Events@etsi.org events@etsi.org]
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks.
Provision of legal advice upon request.
|https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
Contact: [mailto:Legal@etsi.org legal@etsi.org]
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
|https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
Contact: [mailto:Partnerships@etsi.org partnerships@etsi.org]
|}

=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

* AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
* CA Co-operation Agreement
* CG Coordination Group
* CTI ETSI Centre for Testing and Interoperability team
* DG ETSI Director General

* EC European Commission
* EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
* EG ETSI Guide
* EFTA European Free Trade Association
* EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
* EN European Standard
* ENAP EN Approval Procedure
* EOL ETSI on-line
* EP ETSI Project
* EPP ETSI Partnership Project
* ES ETSI Standard
* ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
* FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
* GR Group Report
* GS Group Specification
* ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
* IPR Intellectual Property Right
* ISG Industry Specification Group
* LOI Letter of Intent
* LS Liaison Statement
* MOU Memorandum of Understanding
* NSBG National Standardisation Bodies Group
* NSOG National Standards Organisations Group
* NWI New Work Item
* OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
* OPS ETSI Operations Division
* PAS Publicly Available Specification
* PEP Partnership Engagement Process
* RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
* SC Special Committee
* SDG Software Development Group

* SG Steering Group
* SEP Standard Essential Patents
* SNS ETSI Software and Standards team
* SR Special Report
* SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
* SReq Standardisation Request
* STF Special Task Force
* TB Technical Body
* TG Technical Group
* TC Technical Committee
* TO Technical Officer
* ToR Terms of Reference
* TR Technical Report
* TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
* TWPs Technical Working Procedures

* WG Working Group
* WISR Work Item Standardisation Request

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T13:46:46Z

Schmidth: /* Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
Rules of Procedure, Annex 6: ETSI Intellectual Property Rights Policy.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

<pre>References:
AUWP: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
ICT RP:https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/
</pre>
=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The Chair is encouraged to contact the ETSI TO with regards to requests involving ETSI Secretariat services, as detailed in the table below.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
!Role
! Web page
|-
|Committee Support Staff Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to the technical organisation and Standardisation Requests coordination.
|https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff<nowiki/> Contacts:
[mailto:ESPsupport@etsi.org ESPsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:ISGsupport@etsi.org ISGsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:SRteam@etsi.org SRteam@etsi.org]

|-
|Centre<nowiki/> for Tes<nowiki/>ti<nowiki/>ng and Inte<nowiki/>roperability (CTI)<nowiki/>
| Support of the validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
|[https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/]
Cont<nowiki/>act:
[mailto:CTI support@etsi.org CTI_support@etsi.org]
|-
|Software and Standards (SNS)
|Secreta<nowiki/><nowiki/>riat support to software development groups.
|Contact: [mailto:SDGsupport@etsi.org SDGsupport@etsi.org]
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:EditHelp@etsi.org editHelp@etsi.org]
|-
|IT Help<nowiki/>desk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
|Contact: [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees.
Liaison with the Official member contact.
|https://www.etsi.org/membership<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Membership@etsi.org membership@etsi.org]
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects.
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
Contact: [mailto:Stflink@etsi.org stflink@etsi.org]
|-
|Communications
|Management of the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine.
Management of the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
|https://www.etsi.org/newsroom<nowiki/>
Contacts: [mailto:COM@etsi.org COM@etsi.org]; [mailto:Info@etsi.org info@]<nowiki/>[mailto:Info@etsi.org etsi.org]
|-
|Events
|Management of the endorsements of events (seminars, plugtests, webinars) and negotiation of special conference rates (speaking slots and stands).
Organisation and promotion of ETSI workshops.
|https://www.etsi.org/events<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Events@etsi.org events@etsi.org]
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks.
Provision of legal advice upon request.
|https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
Contact: [mailto:Legal@etsi.org legal@etsi.org]
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
|https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
Contact: [mailto:Partnerships@etsi.org partnerships@etsi.org]
|}

=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

* AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
* CA Co-operation Agreement
* CG Coordination Group
* CTI ETSI Centre for Testing and Interoperability team
* DG ETSI Director General

* EC European Commission
* EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
* EG ETSI Guide
* EFTA European Free Trade Association
* EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
* EN European Standard
* ENAP EN Approval Procedure
* EOL ETSI on-line
* EP ETSI Project
* EPP ETSI Partnership Project
* ES ETSI Standard
* ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
* FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
* GR Group Report
* GS Group Specification
* ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
* IPR Intellectual Property Right
* ISG Industry Specification Group
* LOI Letter of Intent
* LS Liaison Statement
* MOU Memorandum of Understanding
* NSBG National Standardisation Bodies Group
* NSOG National Standards Organisations Group
* NWI New Work Item
* OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
* OPS ETSI Operations Division
* PAS Publicly Available Specification
* PEP Partnership Engagement Process
* RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
* SC Special Committee
* SDG Software Development Group

* SG Steering Group
* SEP Standard Essential Patents
* SNS ETSI Software and Standards team
* SR Special Report
* SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
* SReq Standardisation Request
* STF Special Task Force
* TB Technical Body
* TG Technical Group
* TC Technical Committee
* TO Technical Officer
* ToR Terms of Reference
* TR Technical Report
* TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
* TWPs Technical Working Procedures

* WG Working Group
* WISR Work Item Standardisation Request

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T13:39:45Z

Schmidth: /* Trade names and trademarks */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
Rules of Procedure, Annex 6: ETSI Intellectual Property Rights Policy.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

<pre>References:
AUWP: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
ICT RP:https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/
</pre>
=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The Chair is encouraged to contact the ETSI TO with regards to requests involving ETSI Secretariat services, as detailed in the table below.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
!Role
! Web page
|-
|Committee Support Staff Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to the technical organisation and Standardisation Requests coordination.
|https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff<nowiki/> Contacts:
[mailto:ESPsupport@etsi.org ESPsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:ISGsupport@etsi.org ISGsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:SRteam@etsi.org SRteam@etsi.org]

|-
|Centre<nowiki/> for Tes<nowiki/>ti<nowiki/>ng and Inte<nowiki/>roperability (CTI)<nowiki/>
| Support of the validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
|[https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/]
Cont<nowiki/>act:
[mailto:CTI support@etsi.org CTI_support@etsi.org]
|-
|Software and Standards (SNS)
|Secreta<nowiki/><nowiki/>riat support to software development groups.
|Contact: [mailto:SDGsupport@etsi.org SDGsupport@etsi.org]
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:EditHelp@etsi.org editHelp@etsi.org]
|-
|IT Help<nowiki/>desk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
|Contact: [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees.
Liaison with the Official member contact.
|https://www.etsi.org/membership<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Membership@etsi.org membership@etsi.org]
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects.
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
Contact: [mailto:Stflink@etsi.org stflink@etsi.org]
|-
|Communications
|Management of the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine.
Management of the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
|https://www.etsi.org/newsroom<nowiki/>
Contacts: [mailto:COM@etsi.org COM@etsi.org]; [mailto:Info@etsi.org info@]<nowiki/>[mailto:Info@etsi.org etsi.org]
|-
|Events
|Management of the endorsements of events (seminars, plugtests, webinars) and negotiation of special conference rates (speaking slots and stands).
Organisation and promotion of ETSI workshops.
|https://www.etsi.org/events<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Events@etsi.org events@etsi.org]
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks.
Provision of legal advice upon request.
|https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
Contact: [mailto:Legal@etsi.org legal@etsi.org]
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
|https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
Contact: [mailto:Partnerships@etsi.org partnerships@etsi.org]
|}

=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

* AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
* CA Co-operation Agreement
* CG Coordination Group
* CTI ETSI Centre for Testing and Interoperability team
* DG ETSI Director General

* EC European Commission
* EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
* EG ETSI Guide
* EFTA European Free Trade Association
* EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
* EN European Standard
* ENAP EN Approval Procedure
* EOL ETSI on-line
* EP ETSI Project
* EPP ETSI Partnership Project
* ES ETSI Standard
* ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
* FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
* GR Group Report
* GS Group Specification
* ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
* IPR Intellectual Property Right
* ISG Industry Specification Group
* LOI Letter of Intent
* LS Liaison Statement
* MOU Memorandum of Understanding
* NSBG National Standardisation Bodies Group
* NSOG National Standards Organisations Group
* NWI New Work Item
* OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
* OPS ETSI Operations Division
* PAS Publicly Available Specification
* PEP Partnership Engagement Process
* RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
* SC Special Committee
* SDG Software Development Group

* SG Steering Group
* SEP Standard Essential Patents
* SNS ETSI Software and Standards team
* SR Special Report
* SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
* SReq Standardisation Request
* STF Special Task Force
* TB Technical Body
* TG Technical Group
* TC Technical Committee
* TO Technical Officer
* ToR Terms of Reference
* TR Technical Report
* TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
* TWPs Technical Working Procedures

* WG Working Group
* WISR Work Item Standardisation Request

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T13:26:30Z

Schmidth: /* Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

<pre>References:
AUWP: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
ICT RP:https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/
</pre>
=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The Chair is encouraged to contact the ETSI TO with regards to requests involving ETSI Secretariat services, as detailed in the table below.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
!Role
! Web page
|-
|Committee Support Staff Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to the technical organisation and Standardisation Requests coordination.
|https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff<nowiki/> Contacts:
[mailto:ESPsupport@etsi.org ESPsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:ISGsupport@etsi.org ISGsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:SRteam@etsi.org SRteam@etsi.org]

|-
|Centre<nowiki/> for Tes<nowiki/>ti<nowiki/>ng and Inte<nowiki/>roperability (CTI)<nowiki/>
| Support of the validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
|[https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/]
Cont<nowiki/>act:
[mailto:CTI support@etsi.org CTI_support@etsi.org]
|-
|Software and Standards (SNS)
|Secreta<nowiki/><nowiki/>riat support to software development groups.
|Contact: [mailto:SDGsupport@etsi.org SDGsupport@etsi.org]
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:EditHelp@etsi.org editHelp@etsi.org]
|-
|IT Help<nowiki/>desk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
|Contact: [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees.
Liaison with the Official member contact.
|https://www.etsi.org/membership<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Membership@etsi.org membership@etsi.org]
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects.
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
Contact: [mailto:Stflink@etsi.org stflink@etsi.org]
|-
|Communications
|Management of the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine.
Management of the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
|https://www.etsi.org/newsroom<nowiki/>
Contacts: [mailto:COM@etsi.org COM@etsi.org]; [mailto:Info@etsi.org info@]<nowiki/>[mailto:Info@etsi.org etsi.org]
|-
|Events
|Management of the endorsements of events (seminars, plugtests, webinars) and negotiation of special conference rates (speaking slots and stands).
Organisation and promotion of ETSI workshops.
|https://www.etsi.org/events<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Events@etsi.org events@etsi.org]
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks.
Provision of legal advice upon request.
|https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
Contact: [mailto:Legal@etsi.org legal@etsi.org]
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
|https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
Contact: [mailto:Partnerships@etsi.org partnerships@etsi.org]
|}

=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

* AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
* CA Co-operation Agreement
* CG Coordination Group
* CTI ETSI Centre for Testing and Interoperability team
* DG ETSI Director General

* EC European Commission
* EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
* EG ETSI Guide
* EFTA European Free Trade Association
* EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
* EN European Standard
* ENAP EN Approval Procedure
* EOL ETSI on-line
* EP ETSI Project
* EPP ETSI Partnership Project
* ES ETSI Standard
* ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
* FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
* GR Group Report
* GS Group Specification
* ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
* IPR Intellectual Property Right
* ISG Industry Specification Group
* LOI Letter of Intent
* LS Liaison Statement
* MOU Memorandum of Understanding
* NSBG National Standardisation Bodies Group
* NSOG National Standards Organisations Group
* NWI New Work Item
* OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
* OPS ETSI Operations Division
* PAS Publicly Available Specification
* PEP Partnership Engagement Process
* RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
* SC Special Committee
* SDG Software Development Group

* SG Steering Group
* SEP Standard Essential Patents
* SNS ETSI Software and Standards team
* SR Special Report
* SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
* SReq Standardisation Request
* STF Special Task Force
* TB Technical Body
* TG Technical Group
* TC Technical Committee
* TO Technical Officer
* ToR Terms of Reference
* TR Technical Report
* TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
* TWPs Technical Working Procedures

* WG Working Group
* WISR Work Item Standardisation Request

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T13:25:24Z

Schmidth: /* Annex 1 - Abbreviations */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

<pre>References:
AUWP: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
ICT RP:https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/
</pre>
=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The Chair is encouraged to contact the ETSI TO with regards to requests involving ETSI Secretariat services, as detailed in the table below.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
!Role
! Web page
|-
|Committee Support Staff Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to the technical organisation and Standardisation Requests coordination.
|https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff<nowiki/> Contacts:
[mailto:ESPsupport@etsi.org ESPsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:ISGsupport@etsi.org ISGsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:SRteam@etsi.org SRteam@etsi.org]

|-
|Centre<nowiki/> for Tes<nowiki/>ti<nowiki/>ng and Inte<nowiki/>roperability (CTI)<nowiki/>
| Support of the validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
|[https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/]
Cont<nowiki/>act:
[mailto:CTI support@etsi.org CTI_support@etsi.org]
|-
|Software and Standards (SNS)
|Secreta<nowiki/><nowiki/>riat support to software development groups.
|Contact: [mailto:SDGsupport@etsi.org SDGsupport@etsi.org]
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:EditHelp@etsi.org editHelp@etsi.org]
|-
|IT Help<nowiki/>desk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
|Contact: [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees.
Liaison with the Official member contact.
|https://www.etsi.org/membership<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Membership@etsi.org membership@etsi.org]
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects.
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
Contact: [mailto:Stflink@etsi.org stflink@etsi.org]
|-
|Communications
|Management of the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine.
Management of the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
|https://www.etsi.org/newsroom<nowiki/>
Contacts: [mailto:COM@etsi.org COM@etsi.org]; [mailto:Info@etsi.org info@]<nowiki/>[mailto:Info@etsi.org etsi.org]
|-
|Events
|Management of the endorsements of events (seminars, plugtests, webinars) and negotiation of special conference rates (speaking slots and stands).
Organisation and promotion of ETSI workshops.
|https://www.etsi.org/events<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Events@etsi.org events@etsi.org]
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks.
Provision of legal advice upon request.
|https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
Contact: [mailto:Legal@etsi.org legal@etsi.org]
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
|https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
Contact: [mailto:Partnerships@etsi.org partnerships@etsi.org]
|}

=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

* AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
* CA Co-operation Agreement
* CG Coordination Group
* CTI ETSI Centre for Testing and Interoperability team
* DG ETSI Director General

* EC European Commission
* EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
* EG ETSI Guide
* EFTA European Free Trade Association
* EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
* EN European Standard
* ENAP EN Approval Procedure
* EOL ETSI on-line
* EP ETSI Project
* EPP ETSI Partnership Project
* ES ETSI Standard
* ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
* FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
* GR Group Report
* GS Group Specification
* ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
* IPR Intellectual Property Right
* ISG Industry Specification Group
* LOI Letter of Intent
* LS Liaison Statement
* MOU Memorandum of Understanding
* NSBG National Standardisation Bodies Group
* NSOG National Standards Organisations Group
* NWI New Work Item
* OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
* OPS ETSI Operations Division
* PAS Publicly Available Specification
* PEP Partnership Engagement Process
* RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
* SC Special Committee
* SDG Software Development Group

* SG Steering Group
* SEP Standard Essential Patents
* SNS ETSI Software and Standards team
* SR Special Report
* SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
* SReq Standardisation Request
* STF Special Task Force
* TB Technical Body
* TG Technical Group
* TC Technical Committee
* TO Technical Officer
* ToR Terms of Reference
* TR Technical Report
* TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
* TWPs Technical Working Procedures

* WG Working Group
* WISR Work Item Standardisation Request

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T13:23:00Z

Schmidth: /* ETSI Secretariat Contacts */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

<pre>References:
AUWP: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
ICT RP:https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/
</pre>
=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The Chair is encouraged to contact the ETSI TO with regards to requests involving ETSI Secretariat services, as detailed in the table below.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
!Role
! Web page
|-
|Committee Support Staff Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to the technical organisation and Standardisation Requests coordination.
|https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff<nowiki/> Contacts:
[mailto:ESPsupport@etsi.org ESPsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:ISGsupport@etsi.org ISGsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:SRteam@etsi.org SRteam@etsi.org]

|-
|Centre<nowiki/> for Tes<nowiki/>ti<nowiki/>ng and Inte<nowiki/>roperability (CTI)<nowiki/>
| Support of the validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
|[https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/]
Cont<nowiki/>act:
[mailto:CTI support@etsi.org CTI_support@etsi.org]
|-
|Software and Standards (SNS)
|Secreta<nowiki/><nowiki/>riat support to software development groups.
|Contact: [mailto:SDGsupport@etsi.org SDGsupport@etsi.org]
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:EditHelp@etsi.org editHelp@etsi.org]
|-
|IT Help<nowiki/>desk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
|Contact: [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees.
Liaison with the Official member contact.
|https://www.etsi.org/membership<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Membership@etsi.org membership@etsi.org]
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects.
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
Contact: [mailto:Stflink@etsi.org stflink@etsi.org]
|-
|Communications
|Management of the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine.
Management of the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
|https://www.etsi.org/newsroom<nowiki/>
Contacts: [mailto:COM@etsi.org COM@etsi.org]; [mailto:Info@etsi.org info@]<nowiki/>[mailto:Info@etsi.org etsi.org]
|-
|Events
|Management of the endorsements of events (seminars, plugtests, webinars) and negotiation of special conference rates (speaking slots and stands).
Organisation and promotion of ETSI workshops.
|https://www.etsi.org/events<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Events@etsi.org events@etsi.org]
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks.
Provision of legal advice upon request.
|https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
Contact: [mailto:Legal@etsi.org legal@etsi.org]
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
|https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
Contact: [mailto:Partnerships@etsi.org partnerships@etsi.org]
|}

=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
*CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
*EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
*GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
*TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
*WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T13:21:19Z

Schmidth: /* ETSI Secretariat Contacts */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

<pre>References:
AUWP: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
ICT RP:https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/
</pre>
=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available for delegates.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
!Role
! Web page
|-
|Committee Support Staff Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to the technical organisation and Standardisation Requests coordination.
|https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff<nowiki/> Contacts:
[mailto:ESPsupport@etsi.org ESPsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:ISGsupport@etsi.org ISGsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:SRteam@etsi.org SRteam@etsi.org]

|-
|Centre<nowiki/> for Tes<nowiki/>ti<nowiki/>ng and Inte<nowiki/>roperability (CTI)<nowiki/>
| Support of the validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
|[https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/]
Cont<nowiki/>act:
[mailto:CTI support@etsi.org CTI_support@etsi.org]
|-
|Software and Standards (SNS)
|Secreta<nowiki/><nowiki/>riat support to software development groups.
|Contact: [mailto:SDGsupport@etsi.org SDGsupport@etsi.org]
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:EditHelp@etsi.org editHelp@etsi.org]
|-
|IT Help<nowiki/>desk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
|Contact: [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees.
Liaison with the Official member contact.
|https://www.etsi.org/membership<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Membership@etsi.org membership@etsi.org]
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects.
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
Contact: [mailto:Stflink@etsi.org stflink@etsi.org]
|-
|Communications
|Management of the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine.
Management of the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
|https://www.etsi.org/newsroom<nowiki/>
Contacts: [mailto:COM@etsi.org COM@etsi.org]; [mailto:Info@etsi.org info@]<nowiki/>[mailto:Info@etsi.org etsi.org]
|-
|Events
|Management of the endorsements of events (seminars, plugtests, webinars) and negotiation of special conference rates (speaking slots and stands).
Organisation and promotion of ETSI workshops.
|https://www.etsi.org/events<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Events@etsi.org events@etsi.org]
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks.
Provision of legal advice upon request.
|https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
Contact: [mailto:Legal@etsi.org legal@etsi.org]
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
|https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
Contact: [mailto:Partnerships@etsi.org partnerships@etsi.org]
|}

=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
*CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
*EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
*GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
*TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
*WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T13:19:49Z

Schmidth: /* ETSI Secretariat Contacts */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

<pre>References:
AUWP: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
ICT RP:https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/
</pre>
=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available for delegates.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
!Role
! Web page
|-
|Committee Support Staff Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to the technical organisation and Standardisation Requests coordination.
|https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff<nowiki/> Contacts:
[mailto:ESPsupport@etsi.org ESPsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:ISGsupport@etsi.org ISGsupport@etsi.org];

[mailto:SRteam@etsi.org SRteam@etsi.org]

|-
|Centre<nowiki/> for Tes<nowiki/>ti<nowiki/>ng and Inte<nowiki/>roperability (CTI)<nowiki/>
| Support of the validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
|[https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/]
Cont<nowiki/>act:
[mailto:CTI support@etsi.org CTI_support@etsi.org]
|-
|Software and Standards (SNS)
|Secreta<nowiki/><nowiki/>riat support to software development groups.
|Contact: [mailto:SDGsupport@etsi.org SDGsupport@etsi.org]
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:EditHelp@etsi.org editHelp@etsi.org]
|-
|IT Help<nowiki/>desk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
|Contact: [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees.
Liaison with the Official member contact.
|https://www.etsi.org/membership<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Membership@etsi.org membership@etsi.org]
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects.
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
Contact: [mailto:Stflink@etsi.org stflink@etsi.org]
|-
|Communications
|Management of the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine.
Management of the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
|https://www.etsi.org/newsroom<nowiki/>
Contacts: [mailto:COM@etsi.org COM@etsi.org]; [mailto:Info@etsi.org info@]<nowiki/>[mailto:Info@etsi.org etsi.org]
|-
|Events
|Management of the endorsements of events (seminars, plugtests, webinars) and negotiation of special conference rates (speaking slots and stands).
Organisation and promotion of ETSI workshops.
|https://www.etsi.org/events<nowiki/>
Contact: [mailto:Events@etsi.org events@etsi.org]
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks.
Provision of legal advice upon request.
|https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
Contact: [mailto:Legal@etsi.org legal@etsi.org]
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
|https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
Contact: [mailto:Partnerships@etsi.org partnerships@etsi.org]
|}
The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
|Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
|Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}

=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
*CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
*EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
*GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
*TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
*WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T13:16:16Z

Schmidth: /* ETSI working tools and services */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

<pre>References:
AUWP: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
ICT RP:https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/
</pre>
=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
|Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
| Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
| editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
| Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations =

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
*CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
*EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
*GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
*TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
* WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T13:15:39Z

Schmidth: /* ETSI working tools and services */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

<pre>References:
AUWP: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
ICTRP: https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/
</pre>
=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
|Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
| Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
| editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
| Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations =

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
*CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
*EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
*GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
*TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
* WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T13:13:09Z

Schmidth: /* EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

<pre>References: AUWP: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en, Rolling plan for ICT standardisation: https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/
</pre>
=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
|Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
| Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
| editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
| Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations =

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
*CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
*EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
*GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
*TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
* WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T13:11:30Z

Schmidth: /* EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>
- AUWP: <nowiki>https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en</nowiki>

Rolling plan for ICT standardisation: <nowiki>https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/</nowiki>

=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
|Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
| Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
| editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
| Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations =

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
*CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
*EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
*GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
*TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
* WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T13:08:54Z

Schmidth: /* ETSI working tools and services */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.
- AUWP: <nowiki>https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en</nowiki>

Rolling plan for ICT standardisation: <nowiki>https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/</nowiki>

=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
|Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
| Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
| editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
| Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations =

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
*CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
*EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
*GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
*TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
* WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T13:06:11Z

Schmidth: /* EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilites */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilities =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

References:

- AUWP: <nowiki>https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en</nowiki>
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation: <nowiki>https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/</nowiki>

=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal] for which an [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL) account] (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/TBMembershiplist/ Membership/Exploder Lists]
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* [http://webapp.etsi.org/MeetingManagement/ Meetings management] and contributions handling
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approva]l application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
|Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
| Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
| editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
| Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations =

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
*CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
*EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
*GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
*TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
* WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T12:59:17Z

Schmidth: /* EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilites */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilites =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

References:

- AUWP: <nowiki>https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en</nowiki>
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation: <nowiki>https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/</nowiki>

=ETSI working tools and services=
ETSI offers a set of electronic means to work and collaborate via the ETSI portal for which an ETSI on-line (EOL) account (username and password) is required.

Guidance on how to use these electronic tools is available from the [[Overview|portal wiki help pages]] including FAQs. Some examples of ETSI tools and services:

* Membership/Exploder Lists
* The ETSI Work Programme (EWP) enables to search the TB/SC/SDG/ISG work programme and download ETSI working drafts/publications.
* Meetings management and contributions handling
* [[Remote Consensus]] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions.
* The TB Decision Support application includes several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) which are predefined e.g. vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
* The e-Approval application is the means for voting on SRdAP topics, draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonised European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
|Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
| Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
| editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
| Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations =

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
*CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
*EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
*GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
*TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
* WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T12:55:14Z

Schmidth: /* EC cooperation */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC/EFTA cooperation and Chair's responsibilites =
The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardisation issues.

The TB/SC/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant communications between ETSI and the EC. The TB/SC/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation (ICT RP) and any other EU policy, when requested by ETSI Secretariat, e.g. twice a year.

The ICT RP Standardisation is a bottom-up approach: the standardisation community (not only ETSI), represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), provides a programme of standards or other deliverables in support of EU policy objectives. It gives an overview of ongoing standardisation work, e.g. needs and gaps. ETSI as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) is included in the MSP consultation.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

The AUWP is a top-down approach from the EC and reflects EC expectations, e.g. Standardisation Requests (SReq). The main goal of contributing to the AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). The AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see Regulation 1025/2012). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, the AUWP is not binding for the EC.

The ETSI Secretariat coordinates the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.

References:

- AUWP: <nowiki>https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en</nowiki>
- Rolling
plan for ICT standardisation: <nowiki>https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/</nowiki>

=ETSI working tools=

Most of ETSI’s work is carried out by electronic means - by email exploder lists and via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal].

Guidance is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

*An [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL)] account is required to access most areas such as the ETSI portal.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI committees and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.
*[http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the Technical Bodies/ISGs in their decision-making processes. Several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) are predefined, including the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
|Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
| Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
| editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
| Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations =

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
*CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
*EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
*GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
*TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
* WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T12:51:55Z

Schmidth: /* Closing the STF/TTF */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: TWPs 1.10.1 to 1.10.9, Annex H, ETSI STF/TTF Expert’s Guide.
</pre>

=EC cooperation =

The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardization issues.

The TB/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant liaisons between ETSI and the EC.

The TB/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy.

The main goal of contribution to AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32012R1025 Regulation 1025/2012]). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, AUWP is not binding for the EC.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

Normally, it is for the ETSI Secretariat to coordinate the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.
References:
- AUWP - https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation - https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/

=ETSI working tools=

Most of ETSI’s work is carried out by electronic means - by email exploder lists and via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal].

Guidance is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

*An [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL)] account is required to access most areas such as the ETSI portal.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI committees and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.
*[http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the Technical Bodies/ISGs in their decision-making processes. Several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) are predefined, including the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
|Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
| Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
| editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
| Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations =

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
*CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
*EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
*GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
*TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
* WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T12:50:31Z

Schmidth: /* Closing the STF/TTF */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>

=EC cooperation =

The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardization issues.

The TB/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant liaisons between ETSI and the EC.

The TB/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy.

The main goal of contribution to AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32012R1025 Regulation 1025/2012]). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, AUWP is not binding for the EC.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

Normally, it is for the ETSI Secretariat to coordinate the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.
References:
- AUWP - https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation - https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/

=ETSI working tools=

Most of ETSI’s work is carried out by electronic means - by email exploder lists and via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal].

Guidance is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

*An [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL)] account is required to access most areas such as the ETSI portal.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI committees and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.
*[http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the Technical Bodies/ISGs in their decision-making processes. Several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) are predefined, including the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
|Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
| Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
| editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
| Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations =

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
*CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
*EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
*GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
*TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
* WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T12:49:07Z

Schmidth: /* Closing the STF/TTF */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

When the Final STF/TTF report is approved by the Reference Body, feedback is given to the Head of Funded Activities, and the CTI Director in case of a TTF, and the STF/TTF is closed.

=EC cooperation =

The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardization issues.

The TB/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant liaisons between ETSI and the EC.

The TB/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy.

The main goal of contribution to AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32012R1025 Regulation 1025/2012]). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, AUWP is not binding for the EC.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

Normally, it is for the ETSI Secretariat to coordinate the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.
References:
- AUWP - https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation - https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/

=ETSI working tools=

Most of ETSI’s work is carried out by electronic means - by email exploder lists and via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal].

Guidance is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

*An [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL)] account is required to access most areas such as the ETSI portal.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI committees and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.
*[http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the Technical Bodies/ISGs in their decision-making processes. Several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) are predefined, including the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
|Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
| Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
| editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
|Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
| Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations =

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
*CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
*EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
*GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
*TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
* WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T12:44:53Z

Schmidth: /* Submission of TTF proposal */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the STF/TTF experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The ETSI Secretariat (Technical Officer (TO) and Head of Funded Activities) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates. In the case of TTFs, the CTI Director must be represented as well.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and/or the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==STF/TTF Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The TG Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources and check the Milestones. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI Head of Funded Activities and the TO and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General (DG) in consultation with the relevant TG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the DG for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TG Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up, its main role is to provide technical support input and guidance during the lifecycle of the STF/TTF. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TG.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Reference Body approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by the ETSI Director-General.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

Upon completion of the STF/TTF work, the Technical Group Chair shall ensure that feedback is provided to the Director- General on the STF/TTF work.

=EC cooperation=

The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardization issues.

The TB/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant liaisons between ETSI and the EC.

The TB/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy.

The main goal of contribution to AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32012R1025 Regulation 1025/2012]). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, AUWP is not binding for the EC.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

Normally, it is for the ETSI Secretariat to coordinate the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.
References:
- AUWP - https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation - https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/

=ETSI working tools=

Most of ETSI’s work is carried out by electronic means - by email exploder lists and via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal].

Guidance is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

*An [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL)] account is required to access most areas such as the ETSI portal.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI committees and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the Technical Bodies/ISGs in their decision-making processes. Several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) are predefined, including the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
| Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
|Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
| Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
* CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
*WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T12:40:26Z

Schmidth: /* Submission of TTF proposal */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

TTF proposals are under the ETSI budget and can be submitted by the end of summer (e.g. 2 weeks before the ETSI September Board meeting). An email is sent biannually to the OCG by the CTI Director with the allocation process and calendar.

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of the TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR (at least the Part 1) should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The CTI Director presents and justifies the full TTF Roadmap at the September Board/OCG meeting.

If the TTF is approved, the TTF ToR Part 2 and the corresponding work items have to be approved by the Technical Group, before starting the call for experts’ process.

==Recruitment of the experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The STF/TTF Manager (ETSI Secretariat) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/ TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The Technical Group Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, appoint the STF/TTF Leader, and decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI STF/TTF Manager & Technical Officer and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General in consultation with the relevant TB/ISG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the Director-General for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TB/ISG/SC Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TB/ISG/SC.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Chair approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by ETSI Director-General.

Whenever possible, the reports should be reviewed and endorsed by members of relevant TB/ISG/SC, before the approval by the TB/ISG/SC Chair.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

Upon completion of the STF/TTF work, the Technical Group Chair shall ensure that feedback is provided to the Director- General on the STF/TTF work.

=EC cooperation=

The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardization issues.

The TB/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant liaisons between ETSI and the EC.

The TB/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy.

The main goal of contribution to AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32012R1025 Regulation 1025/2012]). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, AUWP is not binding for the EC.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

Normally, it is for the ETSI Secretariat to coordinate the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.
References:
- AUWP - https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation - https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/

=ETSI working tools=

Most of ETSI’s work is carried out by electronic means - by email exploder lists and via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal].

Guidance is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

*An [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL)] account is required to access most areas such as the ETSI portal.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI committees and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the Technical Bodies/ISGs in their decision-making processes. Several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) are predefined, including the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
| Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
|Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
| Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
* CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
*WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T12:39:39Z

Schmidth: /* Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* Topics selected by the EC
* Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions
* Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The Technical Group Chair is to present and defend the work behind the TTF proposal at the September Board/OCG meeting.

==Recruitment of the experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The STF/TTF Manager (ETSI Secretariat) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/ TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The Technical Group Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, appoint the STF/TTF Leader, and decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI STF/TTF Manager & Technical Officer and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General in consultation with the relevant TB/ISG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the Director-General for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TB/ISG/SC Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TB/ISG/SC.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Chair approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by ETSI Director-General.

Whenever possible, the reports should be reviewed and endorsed by members of relevant TB/ISG/SC, before the approval by the TB/ISG/SC Chair.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

Upon completion of the STF/TTF work, the Technical Group Chair shall ensure that feedback is provided to the Director- General on the STF/TTF work.

=EC cooperation=

The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardization issues.

The TB/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant liaisons between ETSI and the EC.

The TB/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy.

The main goal of contribution to AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32012R1025 Regulation 1025/2012]). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, AUWP is not binding for the EC.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

Normally, it is for the ETSI Secretariat to coordinate the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.
References:
- AUWP - https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation - https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/

=ETSI working tools=

Most of ETSI’s work is carried out by electronic means - by email exploder lists and via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal].

Guidance is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

*An [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL)] account is required to access most areas such as the ETSI portal.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI committees and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the Technical Bodies/ISGs in their decision-making processes. Several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) are predefined, including the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
| Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
|Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
| Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
* CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
*WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-10-03T12:37:15Z

Schmidth: /* STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

An active contribution of the Technical Group (TG) Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the STF/TTF Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Technical Group, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==
The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the TG Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal funded by ETSI (Funded Work Programme) ==

ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG biannually with the allocation process and calendar.

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in quarter three for (Y+1), and in quarter two (Y) (depending on the ETSI budget contingency, and for urgent requests only).

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

First, the ETSI Secretariat notifies the OCG of the EC schedule and process for the submission of:

* · Spontaneous STF proposals for a first assessment by the EC, with the required EC technical proposal template (twice a year)

* · Opening of European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) calls (e.g. 3 times a year).

Secondly, the ETSI Secretariat informs the OCG of each EISMEA call of:

* · Topics selected by the EC

* · Deadline for EISMEA proposal submissions

* · Required EISMEA template.

Then, EISMEA evaluates the relevance, quality and impact of the STF proposal. For each criterion there is a threshold which shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA. If the assessment is positive, ETSI Secretariat and EC/EFTA finalise the process and the STF may begin.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The Technical Group Chair is to present and defend the work behind the TTF proposal at the September Board/OCG meeting.

==Recruitment of the experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The STF/TTF Manager (ETSI Secretariat) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/ TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The Technical Group Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, appoint the STF/TTF Leader, and decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI STF/TTF Manager & Technical Officer and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General in consultation with the relevant TB/ISG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the Director-General for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TB/ISG/SC Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TB/ISG/SC.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Chair approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by ETSI Director-General.

Whenever possible, the reports should be reviewed and endorsed by members of relevant TB/ISG/SC, before the approval by the TB/ISG/SC Chair.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

Upon completion of the STF/TTF work, the Technical Group Chair shall ensure that feedback is provided to the Director- General on the STF/TTF work.

=EC cooperation=

The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardization issues.

The TB/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant liaisons between ETSI and the EC.

The TB/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy.

The main goal of contribution to AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32012R1025 Regulation 1025/2012]). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, AUWP is not binding for the EC.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

Normally, it is for the ETSI Secretariat to coordinate the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.
References:
- AUWP - https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation - https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/

=ETSI working tools=

Most of ETSI’s work is carried out by electronic means - by email exploder lists and via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal].

Guidance is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

*An [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL)] account is required to access most areas such as the ETSI portal.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI committees and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the Technical Bodies/ISGs in their decision-making processes. Several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) are predefined, including the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
| Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
|Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
| Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
* CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
*WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-09-20T14:19:23Z

Schmidth: /* The Chair’s role in the OCG */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWP Clauses 4 & 5
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

== General==

An active contribution of the Technical Group Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Reference Body, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==

The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the Reference Body Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat, and contains the following elements:

*latest schedule for the availability of the base documents
*milestones and reporting schedule
*deliverables schedule
*tasks and resources assigned to the service providers
*provisional travel plan for the participation of service providers’ personnel to meetings and events.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal ==

===Submission of STF proposal funded by ETSI===

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in October/November and in May/June (urgent requests only) time periods.

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

Since April 2021, the EC changed the process for STF proposals funded by EC/EFTA and established a new Agency called the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA).

The STF proposals are first assessed by EC (DG GROW and/or any relevant DG). To be eligible for EC/EFTA funding, the STF proposals shall:

*be linked to a Commission priority, Commission strategy, EU legislation or other documents (e.g., the ICT Rolling Plan or the Annual Union Work Programme); and
*meet the Single Market Programme (SMP) objectives; and
*state the expected deliverables/outcomes; and
*mention the objective and verifiable criteria that will allow the EC to assess that the above deliverables/outcomes have been effectively fulfilled.

If the above criteria are met, EISMEA then evaluates the STF proposals with the following criteria:

*Relevance
*Quality — Project design and implementation
*Quality — Project team and cooperation arrangements
*Impact.
For each criterion there is a threshold, and each threshold shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The Technical Group Chair is to present and defend the work behind the TTF proposal at the September Board/OCG meeting.

==Recruitment of the experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The STF/TTF Manager (ETSI Secretariat) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/ TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The Technical Group Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, appoint the STF/TTF Leader, and decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI STF/TTF Manager & Technical Officer and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General in consultation with the relevant TB/ISG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the Director-General for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TB/ISG/SC Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TB/ISG/SC.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Chair approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by ETSI Director-General.

Whenever possible, the reports should be reviewed and endorsed by members of relevant TB/ISG/SC, before the approval by the TB/ISG/SC Chair.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

Upon completion of the STF/TTF work, the Technical Group Chair shall ensure that feedback is provided to the Director- General on the STF/TTF work.

=EC cooperation=

The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardization issues.

The TB/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant liaisons between ETSI and the EC.

The TB/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy.

The main goal of contribution to AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32012R1025 Regulation 1025/2012]). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, AUWP is not binding for the EC.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

Normally, it is for the ETSI Secretariat to coordinate the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.
References:
- AUWP - https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation - https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/

=ETSI working tools=

Most of ETSI’s work is carried out by electronic means - by email exploder lists and via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal].

Guidance is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

*An [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL)] account is required to access most areas such as the ETSI portal.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI committees and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the Technical Bodies/ISGs in their decision-making processes. Several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) are predefined, including the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
| Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
|Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
| Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
* CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
*WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-09-20T14:17:26Z

Schmidth: /* ETSI Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG) */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The Operational Coordination Group (OCG) acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Bodies (Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), Industry Specification Groups (ISGs), Software Development Groups (SDGs) and Coordination Groups (CGs), and between the TBs, ISGs, SDGs, CGs and the Secretariat.

The OCG provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.

The OCG shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG and the Board on the progress, topics for decision and any issues.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.3, 1.7, 3.3 (and sub-clauses)
</pre>

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

== General==

An active contribution of the Technical Group Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Reference Body, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==

The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the Reference Body Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat, and contains the following elements:

*latest schedule for the availability of the base documents
*milestones and reporting schedule
*deliverables schedule
*tasks and resources assigned to the service providers
*provisional travel plan for the participation of service providers’ personnel to meetings and events.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal ==

===Submission of STF proposal funded by ETSI===

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in October/November and in May/June (urgent requests only) time periods.

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

Since April 2021, the EC changed the process for STF proposals funded by EC/EFTA and established a new Agency called the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA).

The STF proposals are first assessed by EC (DG GROW and/or any relevant DG). To be eligible for EC/EFTA funding, the STF proposals shall:

*be linked to a Commission priority, Commission strategy, EU legislation or other documents (e.g., the ICT Rolling Plan or the Annual Union Work Programme); and
*meet the Single Market Programme (SMP) objectives; and
*state the expected deliverables/outcomes; and
*mention the objective and verifiable criteria that will allow the EC to assess that the above deliverables/outcomes have been effectively fulfilled.

If the above criteria are met, EISMEA then evaluates the STF proposals with the following criteria:

*Relevance
*Quality — Project design and implementation
*Quality — Project team and cooperation arrangements
*Impact.
For each criterion there is a threshold, and each threshold shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The Technical Group Chair is to present and defend the work behind the TTF proposal at the September Board/OCG meeting.

==Recruitment of the experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The STF/TTF Manager (ETSI Secretariat) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/ TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The Technical Group Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, appoint the STF/TTF Leader, and decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI STF/TTF Manager & Technical Officer and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General in consultation with the relevant TB/ISG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the Director-General for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TB/ISG/SC Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TB/ISG/SC.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Chair approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by ETSI Director-General.

Whenever possible, the reports should be reviewed and endorsed by members of relevant TB/ISG/SC, before the approval by the TB/ISG/SC Chair.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

Upon completion of the STF/TTF work, the Technical Group Chair shall ensure that feedback is provided to the Director- General on the STF/TTF work.

=EC cooperation=

The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardization issues.

The TB/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant liaisons between ETSI and the EC.

The TB/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy.

The main goal of contribution to AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32012R1025 Regulation 1025/2012]). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, AUWP is not binding for the EC.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

Normally, it is for the ETSI Secretariat to coordinate the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.
References:
- AUWP - https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation - https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/

=ETSI working tools=

Most of ETSI’s work is carried out by electronic means - by email exploder lists and via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal].

Guidance is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

*An [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL)] account is required to access most areas such as the ETSI portal.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI committees and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the Technical Bodies/ISGs in their decision-making processes. Several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) are predefined, including the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
| Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
|Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
| Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
* CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
*WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-09-20T14:14:24Z

Schmidth: /* ETSI Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG) */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s)
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if the organisation of the Liaison officer has signed the ISG agreement
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session

- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=ETSI Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The OCG:
*Acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), ISGs, SCs, Coordination Groups (CGs) and the ETSI Secretariat.
*Provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs initiated by external bodies to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.
*Makes recommendations to the Board on the allocation of resources for STFs and on the proposed technical testing roadmap and priorities for TTFs.
The OCG is also involved in the endorsement of MoU’s, Cooperation Agreements, and the processing of PAS Supplements.

It shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A TB/ISG Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG on the progress, issues and topics for decision.

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

== General==

An active contribution of the Technical Group Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Reference Body, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==

The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the Reference Body Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat, and contains the following elements:

*latest schedule for the availability of the base documents
*milestones and reporting schedule
*deliverables schedule
*tasks and resources assigned to the service providers
*provisional travel plan for the participation of service providers’ personnel to meetings and events.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal ==

===Submission of STF proposal funded by ETSI===

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in October/November and in May/June (urgent requests only) time periods.

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

Since April 2021, the EC changed the process for STF proposals funded by EC/EFTA and established a new Agency called the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA).

The STF proposals are first assessed by EC (DG GROW and/or any relevant DG). To be eligible for EC/EFTA funding, the STF proposals shall:

*be linked to a Commission priority, Commission strategy, EU legislation or other documents (e.g., the ICT Rolling Plan or the Annual Union Work Programme); and
*meet the Single Market Programme (SMP) objectives; and
*state the expected deliverables/outcomes; and
*mention the objective and verifiable criteria that will allow the EC to assess that the above deliverables/outcomes have been effectively fulfilled.

If the above criteria are met, EISMEA then evaluates the STF proposals with the following criteria:

*Relevance
*Quality — Project design and implementation
*Quality — Project team and cooperation arrangements
*Impact.
For each criterion there is a threshold, and each threshold shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The Technical Group Chair is to present and defend the work behind the TTF proposal at the September Board/OCG meeting.

==Recruitment of the experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The STF/TTF Manager (ETSI Secretariat) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/ TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The Technical Group Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, appoint the STF/TTF Leader, and decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI STF/TTF Manager & Technical Officer and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General in consultation with the relevant TB/ISG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the Director-General for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TB/ISG/SC Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TB/ISG/SC.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Chair approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by ETSI Director-General.

Whenever possible, the reports should be reviewed and endorsed by members of relevant TB/ISG/SC, before the approval by the TB/ISG/SC Chair.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

Upon completion of the STF/TTF work, the Technical Group Chair shall ensure that feedback is provided to the Director- General on the STF/TTF work.

=EC cooperation=

The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardization issues.

The TB/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant liaisons between ETSI and the EC.

The TB/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy.

The main goal of contribution to AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32012R1025 Regulation 1025/2012]). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, AUWP is not binding for the EC.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

Normally, it is for the ETSI Secretariat to coordinate the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.
References:
- AUWP - https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation - https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/

=ETSI working tools=

Most of ETSI’s work is carried out by electronic means - by email exploder lists and via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal].

Guidance is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

*An [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL)] account is required to access most areas such as the ETSI portal.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI committees and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the Technical Bodies/ISGs in their decision-making processes. Several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) are predefined, including the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
| Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
|Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
| Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
* CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
*WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-09-20T14:12:14Z

Schmidth: /* Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s) 
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if his/her organisation signed the ISG agreement
|-
|Between ISGs
| - Liaison statements
- Joint meeting – see section Open Session
- Only working drafts available in the Open Area may be exchanged
|}

=ETSI Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The OCG:
*Acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), ISGs, SCs, Coordination Groups (CGs) and the ETSI Secretariat.
*Provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs initiated by external bodies to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.
*Makes recommendations to the Board on the allocation of resources for STFs and on the proposed technical testing roadmap and priorities for TTFs.
The OCG is also involved in the endorsement of MoU’s, Cooperation Agreements, and the processing of PAS Supplements.

It shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A TB/ISG Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG on the progress, issues and topics for decision.

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

== General==

An active contribution of the Technical Group Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Reference Body, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==

The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the Reference Body Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat, and contains the following elements:

*latest schedule for the availability of the base documents
*milestones and reporting schedule
*deliverables schedule
*tasks and resources assigned to the service providers
*provisional travel plan for the participation of service providers’ personnel to meetings and events.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal ==

===Submission of STF proposal funded by ETSI===

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in October/November and in May/June (urgent requests only) time periods.

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

Since April 2021, the EC changed the process for STF proposals funded by EC/EFTA and established a new Agency called the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA).

The STF proposals are first assessed by EC (DG GROW and/or any relevant DG). To be eligible for EC/EFTA funding, the STF proposals shall:

*be linked to a Commission priority, Commission strategy, EU legislation or other documents (e.g., the ICT Rolling Plan or the Annual Union Work Programme); and
*meet the Single Market Programme (SMP) objectives; and
*state the expected deliverables/outcomes; and
*mention the objective and verifiable criteria that will allow the EC to assess that the above deliverables/outcomes have been effectively fulfilled.

If the above criteria are met, EISMEA then evaluates the STF proposals with the following criteria:

*Relevance
*Quality — Project design and implementation
*Quality — Project team and cooperation arrangements
*Impact.
For each criterion there is a threshold, and each threshold shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The Technical Group Chair is to present and defend the work behind the TTF proposal at the September Board/OCG meeting.

==Recruitment of the experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The STF/TTF Manager (ETSI Secretariat) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/ TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The Technical Group Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, appoint the STF/TTF Leader, and decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI STF/TTF Manager & Technical Officer and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General in consultation with the relevant TB/ISG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the Director-General for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TB/ISG/SC Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TB/ISG/SC.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Chair approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by ETSI Director-General.

Whenever possible, the reports should be reviewed and endorsed by members of relevant TB/ISG/SC, before the approval by the TB/ISG/SC Chair.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

Upon completion of the STF/TTF work, the Technical Group Chair shall ensure that feedback is provided to the Director- General on the STF/TTF work.

=EC cooperation=

The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardization issues.

The TB/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant liaisons between ETSI and the EC.

The TB/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy.

The main goal of contribution to AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32012R1025 Regulation 1025/2012]). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, AUWP is not binding for the EC.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

Normally, it is for the ETSI Secretariat to coordinate the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.
References:
- AUWP - https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation - https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/

=ETSI working tools=

Most of ETSI’s work is carried out by electronic means - by email exploder lists and via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal].

Guidance is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

*An [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL)] account is required to access most areas such as the ETSI portal.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI committees and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the Technical Bodies/ISGs in their decision-making processes. Several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) are predefined, including the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
| Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
|Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
| Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
* CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
*WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-09-20T14:07:59Z

Schmidth: /* ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Only a Cooperation Agreement can include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables the ETSI Partner to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption into an ETSI TR or TS.
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a joint document.
* Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics from the ETSI Partner into an ETSI document.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

An ETSI Partner who has signed a Cooperation Agreement and a PAS Supplement can submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI.

The ETSI Partner submits the specification and the PAS work item form to the Board which allocates them to a Technical Group, in coordination with the OCG. The Technical Group shall create the corresponding PAS Work Item immediately after the Board allocation decision, before starting any work.

The Technical Group will conduct the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

A PAS Process Guide is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Partnership agreements may allow for cooperative interworking between ETSI Technical Groups and the Partner, and the attendance of a Partner representative per meeting. This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the Partner organisation. This has to be carefully checked for each agreement.

The ETSI Partnership portfolio is available for consultation.

Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of the 5 modes of cooperation is available in the TWPs, Annex P.

Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in the TWPs, Annex R.

List of Partnerships agreements.

Description of the Partnership Engagement Process.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Exchange of liaison statements between ETSI Technical Groups and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===A joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

An ETSI Technical Group (TG) can hold joint meetings with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI. This may happen when the ETSI TG and the other organisation identify a potential future collaboration, before the need for a formal partnership.

The joint meeting may contain technical discussions, but shall not be used for the approval of drafts or decisions aiming at modifying drafts. No TG working draft can be discussed unless it is publicly available. Therefore, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint.

* This type of meeting is called an Open session described above, more details can be found at https://portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions.

==Cooperation between ETSI Technical Groups==

An ETSI Chair should pay special attention to the rules for cooperation between TBs, SCs and ISGs as detailed in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s) 
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if his/her organisation signed the ISG agreement
- Liaison statements
 - Joint meeting – see Section 6.3.3 above (meetings with non-Partners)
|-
|}

=ETSI Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The OCG:
*Acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), ISGs, SCs, Coordination Groups (CGs) and the ETSI Secretariat.
*Provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs initiated by external bodies to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.
*Makes recommendations to the Board on the allocation of resources for STFs and on the proposed technical testing roadmap and priorities for TTFs.
The OCG is also involved in the endorsement of MoU’s, Cooperation Agreements, and the processing of PAS Supplements.

It shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A TB/ISG Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG on the progress, issues and topics for decision.

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

== General==

An active contribution of the Technical Group Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Reference Body, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==

The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the Reference Body Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat, and contains the following elements:

*latest schedule for the availability of the base documents
*milestones and reporting schedule
*deliverables schedule
*tasks and resources assigned to the service providers
*provisional travel plan for the participation of service providers’ personnel to meetings and events.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal ==

===Submission of STF proposal funded by ETSI===

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in October/November and in May/June (urgent requests only) time periods.

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

Since April 2021, the EC changed the process for STF proposals funded by EC/EFTA and established a new Agency called the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA).

The STF proposals are first assessed by EC (DG GROW and/or any relevant DG). To be eligible for EC/EFTA funding, the STF proposals shall:

*be linked to a Commission priority, Commission strategy, EU legislation or other documents (e.g., the ICT Rolling Plan or the Annual Union Work Programme); and
*meet the Single Market Programme (SMP) objectives; and
*state the expected deliverables/outcomes; and
*mention the objective and verifiable criteria that will allow the EC to assess that the above deliverables/outcomes have been effectively fulfilled.

If the above criteria are met, EISMEA then evaluates the STF proposals with the following criteria:

*Relevance
*Quality — Project design and implementation
*Quality — Project team and cooperation arrangements
*Impact.
For each criterion there is a threshold, and each threshold shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The Technical Group Chair is to present and defend the work behind the TTF proposal at the September Board/OCG meeting.

==Recruitment of the experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The STF/TTF Manager (ETSI Secretariat) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/ TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The Technical Group Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, appoint the STF/TTF Leader, and decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI STF/TTF Manager & Technical Officer and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General in consultation with the relevant TB/ISG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the Director-General for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TB/ISG/SC Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TB/ISG/SC.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Chair approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by ETSI Director-General.

Whenever possible, the reports should be reviewed and endorsed by members of relevant TB/ISG/SC, before the approval by the TB/ISG/SC Chair.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

Upon completion of the STF/TTF work, the Technical Group Chair shall ensure that feedback is provided to the Director- General on the STF/TTF work.

=EC cooperation=

The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardization issues.

The TB/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant liaisons between ETSI and the EC.

The TB/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy.

The main goal of contribution to AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32012R1025 Regulation 1025/2012]). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, AUWP is not binding for the EC.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

Normally, it is for the ETSI Secretariat to coordinate the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.
References:
- AUWP - https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation - https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/

=ETSI working tools=

Most of ETSI’s work is carried out by electronic means - by email exploder lists and via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal].

Guidance is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

*An [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL)] account is required to access most areas such as the ETSI portal.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI committees and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the Technical Bodies/ISGs in their decision-making processes. Several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) are predefined, including the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
| Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
|Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
| Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
* CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
*WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-09-20T14:00:55Z

Schmidth: /* Overview of partnership agreements */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Whenever there is a Cooperation Agreement signed with a supplement, TB and ISG Chairs are encouraged to use the maximum of the agreement and its supplements.

A Cooperation Agreement may include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables an external organisation to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a common work item to produce a joint deliverable
*Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics in ETSI deliverables.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

The ETSI PAS Process enables an ETSI Partner who has signed a cooperation agreement and a PAS Supplement to submit one or more of its Publicly Available Specifications for adoption by ETSI as an ETSI Technical Specification (TS) or as an ETSI Technical Report (TR).

The ETSI TB identified by the ETSI Board will be the host of the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

The attention of the TB Chair is drawn to the need to create the corresponding Work Item in the relevant TB immediately after the Board decision to allocate the PAS to this TB and before starting any work.

A [https://www.etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf PAS Process Guide] is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

Further information is available on the ETSI website: [https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships Partnership]

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Most of the Partnership Agreements allow for cooperative interworking between relevant ETSI TBs/ISGs and the groups of the other party. This is usually limited to one partnership representative per ETSI TB/ISG depending on the work topic. The work topic will be identified in the summary of the agreement as well as in an annex describing the working areas.

Partnership information is available at: https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/AgreementView/AgreementSearch.asp.

This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the partner’s technical bodies.

It shall also be noted that participation by a Partner’s nominated observer in an ISG is subject to the signature of the ISG Participant’s Agreement, in accordance with ETSI TWPs, Clause 3.4.

== Working with Observers and non-members==

===Participation of Observers and non-members in ETSI meetings===

The conditions for participation of Observers and non- members in ETSI meetings are described in Clauses 2.1 and 2.2 of the present Guide.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Simple liaison statements between ETSI TBs/ISGs and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===Joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

It is possible for an ETSI TB/ISG to exchange information and even hold a joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI.

This typically occurs during the phase where ETSI and the other organisation are getting to know each other and before the need for a formal Partnership is identified.

If a meeting between the two organisations needs to take place, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint. e.g., no TB/ISG working document can be discussed in such meeting unless it is publicly available.

Meeting type:

*The meeting cannot be a formal meeting of the TB/ISG or of the other organisation. ETSI cannot impose its rules on another organisation and likewise, another organisation cannot impose its rules on ETSI. Therefore, the meeting should be organised as a “Workshop” under the umbrella of the identified TB/ISG
* If any new content is created during the TB/ISG workshop, the copyright for that content is jointly owned by ETSI and the non- partner organisation
*The principle of the ISG meeting participation fee shall not be applied to workshops organized between an ISG and a non- partner organisation.

==Cooperation between ETSI TBs/SCs and ISGs==

The attention of the TB/SC and ISG Chairs is drawn to the details of cooperation between ETSI TBs, TBs and ISGs, TBs and SCs and between ISGs.

Typically, interactions between different TBs and ISGs are based on Liaison Statements (LS) exchange, Liaison Officers reporting and joint meetings.

The table below considers different scenarios of collaboration.

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s) 
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if his/her organisation signed the ISG agreement
- Liaison statements
 - Joint meeting – see Section 6.3.3 above (meetings with non-Partners)
|-
|}

=ETSI Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The OCG:
*Acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), ISGs, SCs, Coordination Groups (CGs) and the ETSI Secretariat.
*Provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs initiated by external bodies to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.
*Makes recommendations to the Board on the allocation of resources for STFs and on the proposed technical testing roadmap and priorities for TTFs.
The OCG is also involved in the endorsement of MoU’s, Cooperation Agreements, and the processing of PAS Supplements.

It shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A TB/ISG Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG on the progress, issues and topics for decision.

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

== General==

An active contribution of the Technical Group Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Reference Body, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==

The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the Reference Body Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat, and contains the following elements:

*latest schedule for the availability of the base documents
*milestones and reporting schedule
*deliverables schedule
*tasks and resources assigned to the service providers
*provisional travel plan for the participation of service providers’ personnel to meetings and events.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal ==

===Submission of STF proposal funded by ETSI===

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in October/November and in May/June (urgent requests only) time periods.

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

Since April 2021, the EC changed the process for STF proposals funded by EC/EFTA and established a new Agency called the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA).

The STF proposals are first assessed by EC (DG GROW and/or any relevant DG). To be eligible for EC/EFTA funding, the STF proposals shall:

*be linked to a Commission priority, Commission strategy, EU legislation or other documents (e.g., the ICT Rolling Plan or the Annual Union Work Programme); and
*meet the Single Market Programme (SMP) objectives; and
*state the expected deliverables/outcomes; and
*mention the objective and verifiable criteria that will allow the EC to assess that the above deliverables/outcomes have been effectively fulfilled.

If the above criteria are met, EISMEA then evaluates the STF proposals with the following criteria:

*Relevance
*Quality — Project design and implementation
*Quality — Project team and cooperation arrangements
*Impact.
For each criterion there is a threshold, and each threshold shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The Technical Group Chair is to present and defend the work behind the TTF proposal at the September Board/OCG meeting.

==Recruitment of the experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The STF/TTF Manager (ETSI Secretariat) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/ TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The Technical Group Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, appoint the STF/TTF Leader, and decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI STF/TTF Manager & Technical Officer and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General in consultation with the relevant TB/ISG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the Director-General for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TB/ISG/SC Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TB/ISG/SC.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Chair approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by ETSI Director-General.

Whenever possible, the reports should be reviewed and endorsed by members of relevant TB/ISG/SC, before the approval by the TB/ISG/SC Chair.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

Upon completion of the STF/TTF work, the Technical Group Chair shall ensure that feedback is provided to the Director- General on the STF/TTF work.

=EC cooperation=

The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardization issues.

The TB/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant liaisons between ETSI and the EC.

The TB/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy.

The main goal of contribution to AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32012R1025 Regulation 1025/2012]). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, AUWP is not binding for the EC.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

Normally, it is for the ETSI Secretariat to coordinate the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.
References:
- AUWP - https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation - https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/

=ETSI working tools=

Most of ETSI’s work is carried out by electronic means - by email exploder lists and via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal].

Guidance is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

*An [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL)] account is required to access most areas such as the ETSI portal.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI committees and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the Technical Bodies/ISGs in their decision-making processes. Several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) are predefined, including the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
| Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
|Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
| Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
* CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
*WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-09-20T13:54:21Z

Schmidth: /* Overview of partnership agreements */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
</pre>
== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, the Technical Group is advised to consult the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP). The Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat in the establishment process.

The Chair should be aware of all relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and the Technical Group abides by the partnership engagements.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
*Detailed information on types of partnership agreements can be found in TWPs, Clause 1.8.1.
*Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of 5 modes of cooperation is given in Annex P of the TWP.
*Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in TWPs, Annex R.
* The full list of agreements can be found at ETSI Partnership portfolio page on ETSI portal: see Section 6.2.2 below.
*The description of the Partnership Engagement Process is described at: https://portal.etsi.org/Search/Partnership-agreements/Partnership-Establishment

== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Whenever there is a Cooperation Agreement signed with a supplement, TB and ISG Chairs are encouraged to use the maximum of the agreement and its supplements.

A Cooperation Agreement may include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables an external organisation to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a common work item to produce a joint deliverable
*Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics in ETSI deliverables.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

The ETSI PAS Process enables an ETSI Partner who has signed a cooperation agreement and a PAS Supplement to submit one or more of its Publicly Available Specifications for adoption by ETSI as an ETSI Technical Specification (TS) or as an ETSI Technical Report (TR).

The ETSI TB identified by the ETSI Board will be the host of the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

The attention of the TB Chair is drawn to the need to create the corresponding Work Item in the relevant TB immediately after the Board decision to allocate the PAS to this TB and before starting any work.

A [https://www.etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf PAS Process Guide] is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

Further information is available on the ETSI website: [https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships Partnership]

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Most of the Partnership Agreements allow for cooperative interworking between relevant ETSI TBs/ISGs and the groups of the other party. This is usually limited to one partnership representative per ETSI TB/ISG depending on the work topic. The work topic will be identified in the summary of the agreement as well as in an annex describing the working areas.

Partnership information is available at: https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/AgreementView/AgreementSearch.asp.

This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the partner’s technical bodies.

It shall also be noted that participation by a Partner’s nominated observer in an ISG is subject to the signature of the ISG Participant’s Agreement, in accordance with ETSI TWPs, Clause 3.4.

== Working with Observers and non-members==

===Participation of Observers and non-members in ETSI meetings===

The conditions for participation of Observers and non- members in ETSI meetings are described in Clauses 2.1 and 2.2 of the present Guide.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Simple liaison statements between ETSI TBs/ISGs and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===Joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

It is possible for an ETSI TB/ISG to exchange information and even hold a joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI.

This typically occurs during the phase where ETSI and the other organisation are getting to know each other and before the need for a formal Partnership is identified.

If a meeting between the two organisations needs to take place, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint. e.g., no TB/ISG working document can be discussed in such meeting unless it is publicly available.

Meeting type:

*The meeting cannot be a formal meeting of the TB/ISG or of the other organisation. ETSI cannot impose its rules on another organisation and likewise, another organisation cannot impose its rules on ETSI. Therefore, the meeting should be organised as a “Workshop” under the umbrella of the identified TB/ISG
* If any new content is created during the TB/ISG workshop, the copyright for that content is jointly owned by ETSI and the non- partner organisation
*The principle of the ISG meeting participation fee shall not be applied to workshops organized between an ISG and a non- partner organisation.

==Cooperation between ETSI TBs/SCs and ISGs==

The attention of the TB/SC and ISG Chairs is drawn to the details of cooperation between ETSI TBs, TBs and ISGs, TBs and SCs and between ISGs.

Typically, interactions between different TBs and ISGs are based on Liaison Statements (LS) exchange, Liaison Officers reporting and joint meetings.

The table below considers different scenarios of collaboration.

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s) 
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if his/her organisation signed the ISG agreement
- Liaison statements
 - Joint meeting – see Section 6.3.3 above (meetings with non-Partners)
|-
|}

=ETSI Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The OCG:
*Acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), ISGs, SCs, Coordination Groups (CGs) and the ETSI Secretariat.
*Provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs initiated by external bodies to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.
*Makes recommendations to the Board on the allocation of resources for STFs and on the proposed technical testing roadmap and priorities for TTFs.
The OCG is also involved in the endorsement of MoU’s, Cooperation Agreements, and the processing of PAS Supplements.

It shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A TB/ISG Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG on the progress, issues and topics for decision.

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

== General==

An active contribution of the Technical Group Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Reference Body, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==

The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the Reference Body Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat, and contains the following elements:

*latest schedule for the availability of the base documents
*milestones and reporting schedule
*deliverables schedule
*tasks and resources assigned to the service providers
*provisional travel plan for the participation of service providers’ personnel to meetings and events.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal ==

===Submission of STF proposal funded by ETSI===

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in October/November and in May/June (urgent requests only) time periods.

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

Since April 2021, the EC changed the process for STF proposals funded by EC/EFTA and established a new Agency called the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA).

The STF proposals are first assessed by EC (DG GROW and/or any relevant DG). To be eligible for EC/EFTA funding, the STF proposals shall:

*be linked to a Commission priority, Commission strategy, EU legislation or other documents (e.g., the ICT Rolling Plan or the Annual Union Work Programme); and
*meet the Single Market Programme (SMP) objectives; and
*state the expected deliverables/outcomes; and
*mention the objective and verifiable criteria that will allow the EC to assess that the above deliverables/outcomes have been effectively fulfilled.

If the above criteria are met, EISMEA then evaluates the STF proposals with the following criteria:

*Relevance
*Quality — Project design and implementation
*Quality — Project team and cooperation arrangements
*Impact.
For each criterion there is a threshold, and each threshold shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The Technical Group Chair is to present and defend the work behind the TTF proposal at the September Board/OCG meeting.

==Recruitment of the experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The STF/TTF Manager (ETSI Secretariat) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/ TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The Technical Group Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, appoint the STF/TTF Leader, and decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI STF/TTF Manager & Technical Officer and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General in consultation with the relevant TB/ISG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the Director-General for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TB/ISG/SC Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TB/ISG/SC.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Chair approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by ETSI Director-General.

Whenever possible, the reports should be reviewed and endorsed by members of relevant TB/ISG/SC, before the approval by the TB/ISG/SC Chair.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

Upon completion of the STF/TTF work, the Technical Group Chair shall ensure that feedback is provided to the Director- General on the STF/TTF work.

=EC cooperation=

The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardization issues.

The TB/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant liaisons between ETSI and the EC.

The TB/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy.

The main goal of contribution to AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32012R1025 Regulation 1025/2012]). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, AUWP is not binding for the EC.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

Normally, it is for the ETSI Secretariat to coordinate the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.
References:
- AUWP - https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation - https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/

=ETSI working tools=

Most of ETSI’s work is carried out by electronic means - by email exploder lists and via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal].

Guidance is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

*An [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL)] account is required to access most areas such as the ETSI portal.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI committees and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the Technical Bodies/ISGs in their decision-making processes. Several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) are predefined, including the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
| Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
|Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
| Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
* CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
*WG Working Group

----

ETSI 650, Route des Lucioles 06921 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France Tel +33 4 92 94 42 00 [mailto:info@etsi.org info@etsi.org] http://www.etsi.org

Chair's Guide

2024-09-20T13:52:36Z

Schmidth: /* Technical Group vote during a meeting */

'''Introduction'''

The present document endeavours to provide step-by-step guidance for an ETSI Chair on the essential elements, most common practices and responsibilities of the ETSI Technical Groups: Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Special Committee (SC) or Industry Specification Group (ISG), Software Development Groups (SDG) and the Operational Coordination Group (OCG).

It has been formatted to be used as a reference guide according to the ETSI Directives ([https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives version 49, June 2024]). If in any doubt regarding the application of the correct procedures, the ETSI Directives prevail and the ETSI Technical Officer can provide guidance.

The OCG acts as a forum for co-ordination of TCs, ISGs, SDGs, SCs, other Coordination Groups (CGs) and the Secretariat and assists in the resolution in any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the Technical Groups.

The scope of this guide does not cover ETSI Partnership Projects (e.g. 3GPP, and oneM2M) or ETSI Projects. It is to be used in conjunction with the [[Delegate's Guide|ETSI Delegate’s guide]] and the [https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/How-to-start/User-guides/Rapporteurs-guide ETSI Rapporteur’s guide].

= Responsibilities of the Chair =

The primary duties of a Chair:

* Ensure an efficient operation of the Technical Group and its Working Groups (in conjunction with the Vice-Chair(s), Working Group (WG) Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s))
* Ensure the activities of the Technical Group adhere to ETSI Directives and its rules, policies and procedures
* Maintain strict impartiality and act in the interest of ETSI and its members
* Ensure that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed
* Inform the Technical Group of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Remind the members of the Technical Group of their statutory obligations to submit IPR disclosures
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues, including the approval of draft ETSI deliverables
* Ensure that the Work Programme is kept up to date
* Report to the OCG, Board and the General Assembly on the activities of the Technical Group upon request
* As per Directives v47 (June 2023), a Chair may be appointed for up to three consecutive terms of office (of two years) by the same Technical Group
* As per Directives v48 (June 2024), the incumbent Chair of a Technical Group or a Software Development Group may be authorised to apply for more than 3 consecutive terms of office under certain conditions.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.3, 3.3.1.1, 3.7.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.8 & 7.7.1.
</pre>
= Who is authorised to participate in the activities of an ETSI Technical Group? =

== Technical Body and Special Committee meetings ==
To attend a Technical Body (TB) (e.g. a Technical Committee (TC), an ETSI Project (EP)), or a Special Committee (SC) meeting, the delegate shall fulfil one of the following criteria:

* Represent an ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor
* Represent an Applicant for Full or Associate membership who has formally submitted their application to the ETSI Secretariat (Applicant member), subject to the agreement of the ETSI Director-General
* Represent an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement (according to the rules of the relevant agreement). (For further information on the 3 types of partnerships see Section 6.1 of this guide)
* Attend as a Guest (non-member or ETSI Observer) following authorisation by the Chair for three TB/SC meetings or six months (whichever is the shorter)
* Represent an Association which is a Full or Associate member, as an employee or as an elected official. A maximum of one nominated technical expert, from the member of the said Association, shall be allowed to attend a meeting, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis. Technical experts of an Association attending ETSI meetings shall only represent that Association’s views.
* Represent the European Commission (EC) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a Counsellor.
* The above points also apply to Working Groups and Task Groups.

ETSI Observers and Guests may present a document for information and answer questions related to the information provided in their document, if authorised by the Chair.

ETSI Observers and Guests are '''not''' permitted to:

* submit written contributions for discussion or decision
* contribute in any way to the work on the deliverables, Change Requests and/or Work Item of the respective TB
* vote or have the possibility to take part in any decision-making process
* subscribe to a TB mailing list or receive any working document, either during the meeting itself or between meetings or hold any leadership position.

----<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3 and 1.5, ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.4 and 1.8.1.
</pre>
== TB/SC membership list ==

Each TB/SC has an email exploder list to be used for discussion, dissemination and/or collection of information and for decision-making purposes outside of TB/SC meetings. Only delegates subscribed to the TB/SC membership list with their EOL account email address are considered members of the TB/SC.

Upon registration to a TB/SC meeting, each delegate (ETSI Full or Associate member or Counsellor) will be automatically subscribed to the TB/SC membership list if not already subscribed.

Email exploder lists are also maintained for WGs (Working Groups), TGs (Task Groups) and SCs.

Authorised Guests attending a TB/SC meeting shall not be subscribed to the membership list.

A representative of an ETSI Partner organisation where ETSI has a signed partnership agreement may be subscribed according to the rules of the relevant agreement.
----<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4 and 1.5.5
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== Industry Specification Group meetings ==

Representatives of an ETSI Full or Associate member, an ETSI Full or Associate Applicant member and an ETSI Partner are authorised to attend ISG meetings.

Representatives of a non-ETSI member (known as ISG Participant) may attend ISG meetings providing ETSI is in receipt of the signed relevant ISG Participant Agreement. Meeting fees are stipulated in the relevant ISG Participant Agreement and shall be paid prior to attendance of a meeting.

ETSI Observer members may attend meetings of an ISG and participate in the work without the right to vote subject to having signed the relevant ISG Participant Agreement.

A Counsellor is not required to sign an ISG agreement to be able to attend an ISG meeting.

For a Guest to attend an ISG meeting on an exceptional and temporary basis, if invited or authorised by the ISG Chair.

ISG Participants, Counsellors and Guests shall not vote, support new work items or hold an ISG leadership position. An ISG Participant may hold a Rapporteur position or a WG Vice-Chair position.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.4 to 3.4.7, 3.7.2
</pre>

==List of ISG members and Participants==

Each ISG has a list of its Members, Participants and Counsellors that is available on the portal General Information page.

ETSI member organisations are automatically added to this list upon registration to the relative ISG meeting.

ISG Participant organisations are added to this list following the signature of the relevant ISG Participant Agreement. European Commission Counsellors are added upon request.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clause 3.5.4, 3.5.5.
</pre>

==Software Development Group meetings==

Each Software Development Group has a relative Agreement that sets out the participation rules, budget mechanism, terms for code contribution. The SDG Agreement includes a Corporate Contribution License Agreement (CCLA) aligned with the terms of the Software License chosen for the SDG, which may differ from the ETSI IPR Policy.

An ETSI Full and Associate member, or an applicant to ETSI Full or Associate membership who has signed the relevant SDG Agreement, may participate in the work of an SDG and have a right to vote at Plenary Meeting and Plenary Level. The right to vote at other levels is governed and the Detailed SDG Working Procedures.

An Association which is a Full or Associate member shall be represented by their employees and elected officials. In addition, a maximum of one nominated technical expert, per meeting, shall be allowed to attend and participate and shall come from a member of the said Association, unless explicitly authorized by the Director-General on a case-by-case basis.

If the SDG Terms of Reference indicates that participation of Observer members and/or non-ETSI members is permitted,participation in the technical work of an SDG is permitted, following the signature of the relevant SDG Agreement, and payment of the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

An ETSI Partner may attend SDG meetings and participate in the work subject to having signed the relevant SDG Agreement and having paid the appropriate Annual Participation Fee.

A Counsellor may participate in technical work of an SDG after signing the relevant SDG Agreement.

The relevant Detailed SDG Working Procedures stipulates the decision-making rights of SDG Participants.

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 1.2.2 to 1.2.4, 1.3 & 1.5; TWPs clause 7.
</pre>

=Meeting responsibilities: preparation, participation, reporting=

==Introduction==

A Technical Group (TG) has the freedom to organise its work according to the needs of the members providing it complies with the ETSI Directives.

For a TG decision-making meeting (e.g. a plenary), the agenda shall be available at least 30 days beforehand.

The ETSI Directives do not make a distinction between different meeting types, although the term “plenary” is used by ETSI TCs, ISGs and SCs.

The ETSI portal Meeting application offers various types of meetings e.g., Plenary, Working Group, Rapporteur, Resolution etc.

The principles of decision-making are based on consensus or vote.

A Technical Group has the right to decide on:

* number of WGs
* frequency of meetings
* organisation of rapporteur’s meetings
* deadlines for submitting meeting agenda (other than TG decision-making meeting) and other documents for meetings
* the way WGs and Rapporteur groups report to the TC/ISG/SC meeting, etc.

A non-decision-making meeting of a Technical Group can be used to collect a snapshot of opinions of ETSI members and ISG Participants on a given item or topic.<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.1, 1.3.7, 1.7.1, 3.1 and 3.3.7.
</pre>
== Before a Technical Group meeting ==
The Chair shall ensure that the meeting invitation with all necessary logistical information and the draft meeting agenda will be available on the ETSI portal and that the TC/ISG/SC membership is notified at least thirty (30) days before a decision-making meeting.

NOTE: The draft agenda for the first meeting of a new TC, SC or an ISG kick-off meeting is announced in a Collective Letter by the Secretariat, with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. It is the responsibility of the ETSI Secretariat or the Chair to disseminate the meeting invitation.

Items for decision shall be included in the agenda such as:

* New Work Item (NWI) proposals and draft deliverables for approval
* Any topics in which voting will be required
* The received Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair candidatures and the call for candidate’s contribution.

The following items should also be considered for addition to the agenda, if relevant:

* Contribution deadline
* Meeting contributions uploaded (in agenda revisions)
* Liaisons statements
* Logistical information
* Future meeting schedule.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5, 1.7.
</pre>
==During a Technical Group meeting==
During a TG meeting, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

* Open the meeting, welcome the delegates, announce any guests or observers
* Make a call for IPR and a reminder of applicable anti-trust and competition laws (see Section 4 of the present guide for further details)
* Remind delegates of the Code of Conduct for ETSI Members
* Ensure a meeting secretary volunteers to draft the meeting report
* Present the agenda and seek its approval
* Report on the TC/SC//ISG work programme status, and make sure it is updated as appropriate
* Endeavour to reach consensus on all issues
* Launch, run, and evaluate the results of planned vote(s) (if any)
* Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded in the meeting report
* Ensure that all decisions taken by Remote Consensus since the last meeting are recorded in the meeting report
* Invite Rapporteurs and Liaison Officers to present their activities since the last meeting
* Invite WG Chair(s) (if relevant) to present their Progress reports
* Ensure the presence of each attendee is correctly recorded on the portal.
<pre>References: ETSI TWPs 1.7, ETSI RoP Article 11 and ETSI IPR Guide, Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.4.
</pre>
==After a Technical Group meeting==

Following each meeting a report should be provided within 30 days and shall include:

* decisions, including the election of officials, approved or withdrawn deliverables, and change request decisions
* actions
* key discussion points
* organisational changes to the structure of the TG
* call for IPR disclosures
* the dates and venues of forthcoming meetings
* Attendee list as an Annex or hyperlink.

If the meeting report is not available within 15 days after the end of the meeting, the Chair is required to provide a list detailing the key decisions and topics.

The full meeting report should be provided within 30 days and requires the approval of the Technical Group.

The Chair is also invited - for purposes of transparency - to update the status of Contributions on the portal. <pre>References: ETSI IPR Guide Clauses 2.3.2 to 2.3.5, ETSI TWPs 1.9.
</pre>

== Technical Group Open Sessions ==
A Technical Group may need to organise meetings/calls open to ETSI Members and non-Members. This type of meeting is called an Open Session, more details can be found at portal.etsi.org/TB-SiteMap/OCG/TG-Open-Sessions

The Chair ensures that the TG defines the Open Session scope, content, format, location and date. ETSI Secretariat will coordinate the request.

==European Standards and European standardisation deliverables in response to Standardisation Requests (SReqs)==
ETSI may elaborate European Standards and European standardisation deliverables (TR, TS, ES or hEN) in response to SReqs to support the European legislation or policies, in accordance with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, which is related to Regulation (EU) 2022/2480.

The relevant ETSI Technical Group will engage with the National Standardisation Body Group (NSBG), the National Standardisation Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations throughout the Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process (SRdAP).

The European Commission consults ETSI during the drafting of a new Standardisation Request (SReq) that it considers may be of interest to ETSI. ETSI engages the appropriate TC or SC along with the National Standards Body Group (NSBG), the National Standards Organisation Group (NSOG) and the Annex III organisations. ETSI consults the ETSI Board as well the Operational Co-ordination Group (OCG) which acts as a forum for co-ordination and consists of all ETSI committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs. The NSBs take all the decisions by vote on the acceptance of SReqs (not the TG).

The TC or SC proposes Work Item(s) identified for a Standardisation Request (WISR), once registered by the TC or SC, and the NSB members vote on the adoption or rejection of each WISR.

Should the TC/SC decide at a later stage to stop a WISR, the ETSI Board is to be consulted before the request to stop the WISR is submitted to an NSBG vote.<pre>References: ETSI RoP Articles 20 & 21, ETSI TWPs 2.2.2, Annexes A.5 and J.
</pre>
==ENAP (EN Approval Procedure)==

This section only applies for ENs (European Standards) that are not related to a Standardisation Request. ETSI may elaborate European Standards (ENs) on a proposal from at least four (4) Full and/or Associate members.

These ENs shall be adopted by the eligible National Standards Organisations (NSO) through a Public Enquiry and at least one Weighted National Voting procedure performed in a combined procedure by the eligible members of the National Standards Organizations Group (NSOG).

Participation in the ENAP shall be restricted to the Annex III Organisations and to the NSO Group (NSOG).

<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2 to 2.2.1.3.
</pre>

==ENAP Resolution meetings ==
The Chair shall:

* Schedule a Resolution meeting when the final draft EN has been submitted to the combined Public Enquiry/Weighted National Voting procedure; it should take place within thirty (30) days after its closure
* Send the invitation to the TB membership list at least thirty (30) days before the meeting
* Cancel the Resolution meeting if no comments are received during the Public Enquiry or if only editorial comments are received and the vote is successful.
<pre>References: ETSI RoP Article 13, ETSI TWPs Clauses 2.2.1.1.1 to 2.2.1.1.3, Annexes A.5, J and T.
</pre>
=Responsibilities of the Chair on IPR, Antitrust Compliance and Confidentiality=

==General==

One of the primary duties of the Chair is to take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed.

The Chair has a duty to remind the TB/SC/ISG members of their obligations to submit IPR disclosures.

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ==

At the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting, the Chair shall perform the “Call for IPRs”. An example of a formal call for IPRs, as below: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body is drawn to the fact that ETSI members shall use reasonable endeavours under Clause 4.1 of the ETSI IPR Policy, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure, to inform ETSI of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion. This section covers the obligation to notify its own IPRs but also other companies’ IPRs.''

''The members take note that they are hereby invited:''

· ''to investigate in their company whether their'' ''company does own IPRs which are, or are likely'' ''to become Essential in respect of the work of the Technical Body,''

· ''to notify to the ETSI Director-General all potential IPRs that their company may own, by means of the IPR Information Statement and the Licensing Declaration forms through the ETSI IPR online database application at https://ipr.etsi.org. Only under exceptional circumstances and if instructed by the ETSI Secretariat, paper declarations may be allowed using the forms provided by the ETSI Secretariat.''

''Members are encouraged to make general IPR undertakings/declarations that they will make licenses available for all their IPRs under FRAND terms and conditions related to a specific standardization area and then, as soon as feasible, provide (or refine) detailed disclosures”.''</blockquote>The Call for IPRs serves as a reminder of the obligations of TB/SC/ISG members in the disclosure of Essential IPRs in a timely fashion.

Throughout the standardisation process, the Chair shall take the actions as laid down in the sections of the Guide on IPRs, to facilitate the identification of Essential IPRs.

During the meeting a short reminder call for IPR disclosures should be made on:

* the formal submission of a technical solution
* the completion of the first stable draft of the standard
* Working Group approval of a draft standard
* TB/ISG approval of a draft standard.

The meeting report shall clearly state that an IPR call, and any IPR reminders, has been made as well as any responses. If no responses were given, then also this should be recorded.

The Chair shall inform the ETSI Legal Director of the existence of any Essential or potentially Essential IPR.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clauses 2.3, 2.3.2-2.3.4.
</pre>

==Trade names and trademarks ==

The use of trade names and/or trademarks that are asserted and/or registered by their owners for designating particular products or services should be avoided in ETSI deliverables. Instead a corresponding standard should be used or a correct designation or a generic description should be given.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of trademarks/trade names cannot be avoided, the recommendations given on editHelp! website in the "Use and reproduction of text, signs and material legally protected" section should be followed.

<pre>References: ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules Clause 4.2.
</pre>

==Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables==

If, in exceptional circumstances, the use of copyrighted third-party material (text/figures) cannot be avoided, reproduction in ETSI deliverables requires the author’s authorisation and the copyrighted material shall be indicated by the symbol © and with proper acknowledgment of its owner.

The Chair should instruct the Rapporteur to obtain the author’s authorisation using the template available from the editHelp web page.

<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3.5, ETSI Directives/Drafting Rules, Clauses 4.1 & 4.3.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Antitrust Compliance==

The Chair should take care that the ETSI Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance are strictly observed, as per the Anti-trust and competition Statement at the beginning of a TB/SC/ISG meeting: <blockquote>''“The attention of the members of this Technical Body/ISG is drawn to the fact that ETSI activities are subject to all applicable antitrust and competition laws and that compliance with said laws is therefore required of any participant of this meeting including the Chair and Vice Chair(s). The leadership shall conduct the present meeting with impartiality. In case of questions, it is recommended that you contact your legal counsel”.''</blockquote>The Chair shall not allow any discussion on commercial issues, in particular but not limited to, discussions on details of specific licensing terms and conditions, and any subject matter prohibited by competition law. It includes any discussions, communications or any other exchange of information, inside or outside of all ETSI meetings (e.g. informal discussions, social gatherings, corridor talks).<pre>References: Guide on Intellectual Property Rights, Clause 2.3, Guidelines for Antitrust Compliance Clause C.4.1.
</pre>

==Responsibilities of the Chair on Confidentiality==

All documents and information provided in or for technical meetings shall be considered non-confidential unless the information (in written form AND is identified AND accepted by the Chair) has been labelled as confidential.

Confidential information that has been incorporated in a Standard or Technical Specification shall be regarded as non-confidential from the moment of publication.

Should the Chair become aware that confidential information has been disclosed in breach of a confidential disclosure agreement to which ETSI is a party, the Chair shall immediately inform the Secretariat.
{| class="wikitable"
|Identification and disclosure of essential IPR
|Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3 Technical Body Chair Duties
|-
|Call or IPR disclosures
|Make call for IPRs in TB meetings Guide on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Clause 2.3.2
When and How? Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations, Clause 2.3.3
|-
|Notification of essential IPR and licensing declarations
|Annex 6 of the ETSI Rules of Procedure. Record and report information on IPRs, Clause 2.3.4
|-
|Copyrights in ETSI Deliverables
|https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/To-help-you-in-your-work/Use-and-reproduction-of-text-signs-and-material-legally-protected/Copyrights
|-
|Chair’s Responsibilities on Confidentiality
|ETSI IPR Policy – Annex 6; Clause 10
|}

=Decision Making and Voting=

==Consensus and consensus-making ==

Formal standardisation is a process which is open to any individual or organisation (member/participant/counsellor), and its results are produced in consensus with all interested parties.

Formal standardisation is inspired by international directives on standardisation, and is based on six principles for the development of international standards:

* transparency,
* openness,
* impartiality and consensus,

* effectiveness and relevance,
* coherence, and
* development dimension.

Within Europe, Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 – “the Standardisation Regulation” - places an added emphasis on facilitating the participation of all stakeholders in the standardisation process.

Standards are, therefore, products of negotiation among all involved (and relevant) stakeholders, aimed at establishing a general agreement and the absence of sustained opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
|With respect to the consensus-making process in ETSI, the Chair shall apply '''the definition of consensus:'''

A general agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting, and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:

* The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

* Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a TG.
* Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".
* In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).

'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair may decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SDG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).

Contributions for Decision by Consensus in between meetings shall use the ETSI Remote Consensus tool. Those contributions shall be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the Remote Consensus starts and the minimum duration of the Remote Consensus is at seven (7) days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
{| class="wikitable"
|<blockquote>'''The definition of consensus shall be applied:'''

A general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interest and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.

'''NOTE: Consensus need not imply unanimity.'''</blockquote>
|}
A Technical Group shall endeavour to reach consensus on all issues both during a meeting and/or in between meetings via the Remote Consensus portal application.

The Chair (or Vice-chair or Rapporteur) should aim to facilitate the discussion in an independent manner, considering:
*The objective is to obtain the largest consensus possible on the content of the standard and resolve potential conflicts.

*Reaching consensus may take time, taking into account there are different stakeholders represented in a committee

* Contributions for Decision by Remote Consensus in between meetings are to be available at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the consultation period and the minimum duration of the remote consensus is at least (7) seven days. The Technical Group is to be informed of the results of the Decision within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*Different knowledge domains and backgrounds across committees may imply different "languages and cultures".

*In the case of sustained opposition, this opposition '''shall''' be made known before approval (verbally or in writing) and '''shall''' be recorded in the meeting report(s).
'''If consensus cannot be achieved, the Chair can decide to take a vote which may be performed by a secret ballot either during a meeting or in between meetings.''' Before the vote, the TB/ISG/SC Chair shall provide a clear definition of the issues (e.g., TB/ISG/SC approval of a draft before publication).<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, 1.7, 3.7.7 and RoP Annex 1.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote during a meeting==

*Electronic voting is recommended.
*A vote shall be announced to the membership list at least 30 calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are present (physically or remotely connected) may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*A Proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only.
*In the case of an ISG, only Founding Members (as identified in Annex 2 of the ISG agreement) are eligible to vote during the kick-off period. Thereafter, all ISG Members are eligible to vote.
*ISGs may have specific voting rules, as defined in the ISG Member agreement (e.g., non-weighted vote, simple majority voting, voting based on presence to previous ISG meetings).
*Voting by proxy is not permitted.
*The result of the vote shall be recorded in the meeting report.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs Clauses 1.5.4, 1.7.1, 1.7.1.1, 3.7.1-3.7.5.
</pre>
==Technical Group vote by correspondence in between meetings==

*Electronic voting shall be used.
*Only delegates subscribed to the TB/ISG/SC membership list with their EOL account email address will be considered members of the Technical Group.
*The contribution submitted to the vote shall be announced to the membership list at least seven (7) calendar days before the start of the voting period.
*The voting period shall be at least two (2) calendar days.
*Only members who have registered to the meeting and are connected online may vote. For a TC, weighted voting applies.
*All ISG Members are eligible to vote after the kick-off period. ISG voting rules are detailed in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*A proposal shall be deemed approved if seventy-one percent (71%) of the votes cast are in favour. If a 71% is not achieved the vote shall be re-calculated using the votes of Full members only. The rule may be different for ISGs, to be checked in the ISG ToR Annex or in the ETSI Directives.
*The Technical Group has to be informed of the results of the vote within seven (7) calendar days and recorded in the meeting report of the following meeting.
*The result of the vote shall be disseminated by the Chair to the membership list within seven (7) calendar days and recorded as a decision taken by correspondence in the report of the following meeting.

<pre>References: ETSI TWPs, Clauses 1.5.5, 1.7.1.2, 1.7.1.3, 3.5.5, 3.7.1 to 3.7.4, 3.7.6
</pre>
==Appointment for the position of Chair/Vice-Chair or WG Chair==

=== General===

In the case where there is more than one candidate for the position of a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, a secret ballot shall be used.

If no candidate is elected after a first vote, a second or third ballot may be required.

In the case there is only one candidate for a Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair position, appointment by consensus is required which can take place during a meeting, or in between meetings using the Remote Consensus tool.

The procedures for the election of a TB/SC Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 1.3.1.1 and 1.3.1.2 shall apply.

The procedures for the election of an ISG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.1.2 shall apply.

The Chair of an ISG shall be a delegate of an ISG Member organisation with the status of Full or Associate member.

The procedures for the election of an SDG Chair/Vice-Chair/WG Chair described in TWPs, Clauses 7.3.2.1 and 7.3.2.2 shall apply.
=External cooperation with ETSI Partners=

==Overview of partnership agreements==

When there is a need for the establishment of a partnership agreement, ETSI TBs/SCs and ISGs are required to refer to the ETSI partnership policy framework and the Partnership Engagement Process (PEP) as described in the TWPs Clause 1.8.1. The TB Chair will be accompanied by the ETSI Secretariat and the Partnership team.

The TB or ISG Chair should ensure that they are aware of all the relevant partnership engagements with other organisations and that they abide by the partnership engagements for the work of the TBs and ISGs they are responsible for.

There are three different types of partnership agreements depending on partnership engagement:
{| class="wikitable"
!Engagement
!Main Focus
!ETSI TWPs Clauses
! Examples, comments
|-
|'''Type 1''' '''Letter of Intent''' (LoI)
|Initial contact, get to know each other.
|1.8.1.1.1
|
|-
| '''Type 2''' '''Memorandum of Understanding''' (MoU) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity]
| - Political</nowiki> - Marketing - Technical
|
|1.8.1.1.2
|-
| '''Type 3''' '''Co-operation Agreement''' (CA) <nowiki>[Partner shall be a legal entity and an IPR Policy Check performed to determine the compatibility of the Partner’s IPR Policy with ETSI’s]</nowiki> 
| - Political - Marketing - Technical
| 1.8.1.1.3
|ESOs. A synthetic view of each mode is in TWPs, P Annex 3. (https://portal.etsi.org/Resources/ETSI-Directives) <nowiki>- [PAS Process Guide](</nowiki>https://etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf) <nowiki>- [PAS brochure](</nowiki>https://www.etsi.org/images/files/Brochures/ETSI-Brochure-PAS.pdf) - ETSI web page regarding PAS – see Section 6.2.2 of this guide.
|-
|
|'''Supplements'''
|1.8.1.2
|
|-
|
|'''Materials Supplement''' - Incorporation of published text and graphics from the other party into a document.
| 1.8.1.2.1
|
|-
|
| '''Working Supplement''' - Joint production of documents.
|1.8.1.2.2
|
|-
|
|'''PAS Supplement''' - Adoption of identified Partner’s PASs into ETSI TR(s) or TS(s).
| 1.8.1.2.3
|
|}
*Detailed information on types of partnership agreements can be found in TWPs, Clause 1.8.1.
*Detailed information on Basic Co-operation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and the description of 5 modes of cooperation is given in Annex P of the TWP.
*Full overview of the ETSI Partnership Engagements can be found in TWPs, Annex R.
* The full list of agreements can be found at ETSI Partnership portfolio page on ETSI portal: see Section 6.2.2 below.
*The description of the Partnership Engagement Process is described at: https://portal.etsi.org/Search/Partnership-agreements/Partnership-Establishment

== ETSI Cooperation Agreements and Supplements==

===General Information ===

Whenever there is a Cooperation Agreement signed with a supplement, TB and ISG Chairs are encouraged to use the maximum of the agreement and its supplements.

A Cooperation Agreement may include a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Supplement, a Working Supplement or a Materials Supplement for the following purposes:

* PAS Supplement enables an external organisation to submit its publicly available specifications to ETSI for adoption
* Working Supplement allows for the creation of a common work item to produce a joint deliverable
*Materials Supplement allows for incorporation of text and graphics in ETSI deliverables.

===PAS (Publicly Available Specification) Process===

The ETSI PAS Process enables an ETSI Partner who has signed a cooperation agreement and a PAS Supplement to submit one or more of its Publicly Available Specifications for adoption by ETSI as an ETSI Technical Specification (TS) or as an ETSI Technical Report (TR).

The ETSI TB identified by the ETSI Board will be the host of the PAS review and will approve the PAS as a TR or TS following the normal ETSI approval procedure.

The attention of the TB Chair is drawn to the need to create the corresponding Work Item in the relevant TB immediately after the Board decision to allocate the PAS to this TB and before starting any work.

A [https://www.etsi.org/images/files/ETSI_PAS_Process_Guide.pdf PAS Process Guide] is available for download describing the process and its benefits.

Further information is available on the ETSI website: [https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships Partnership]

===Participation of an ETSI Partner representative in ETSI meetings===

Most of the Partnership Agreements allow for cooperative interworking between relevant ETSI TBs/ISGs and the groups of the other party. This is usually limited to one partnership representative per ETSI TB/ISG depending on the work topic. The work topic will be identified in the summary of the agreement as well as in an annex describing the working areas.

Partnership information is available at: https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/AgreementView/AgreementSearch.asp.

This attendance rule also applies to ETSI’s participation in the partner’s technical bodies.

It shall also be noted that participation by a Partner’s nominated observer in an ISG is subject to the signature of the ISG Participant’s Agreement, in accordance with ETSI TWPs, Clause 3.4.

== Working with Observers and non-members==

===Participation of Observers and non-members in ETSI meetings===

The conditions for participation of Observers and non- members in ETSI meetings are described in Clauses 2.1 and 2.2 of the present Guide.

===Liaison Statements when there is no Partnership Agreement===

Simple liaison statements between ETSI TBs/ISGs and external bodies are to be encouraged as a first step.

If such liaisons reach the point where the two bodies concerned are going to exchange technical documents, then the need for a formal Partnership Agreement should be investigated.

===Joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI===

It is possible for an ETSI TB/ISG to exchange information and even hold a joint meeting with an organisation that has no Partnership Agreement with ETSI.

This typically occurs during the phase where ETSI and the other organisation are getting to know each other and before the need for a formal Partnership is identified.

If a meeting between the two organisations needs to take place, a set of basic rules and principles must be followed to comply with the ETSI TWPs and to remain in a safe zone from the legal standpoint. e.g., no TB/ISG working document can be discussed in such meeting unless it is publicly available.

Meeting type:

*The meeting cannot be a formal meeting of the TB/ISG or of the other organisation. ETSI cannot impose its rules on another organisation and likewise, another organisation cannot impose its rules on ETSI. Therefore, the meeting should be organised as a “Workshop” under the umbrella of the identified TB/ISG
* If any new content is created during the TB/ISG workshop, the copyright for that content is jointly owned by ETSI and the non- partner organisation
*The principle of the ISG meeting participation fee shall not be applied to workshops organized between an ISG and a non- partner organisation.

==Cooperation between ETSI TBs/SCs and ISGs==

The attention of the TB/SC and ISG Chairs is drawn to the details of cooperation between ETSI TBs, TBs and ISGs, TBs and SCs and between ISGs.

Typically, interactions between different TBs and ISGs are based on Liaison Statements (LS) exchange, Liaison Officers reporting and joint meetings.

The table below considers different scenarios of collaboration.

{| class="wikitable"
!Cooperation between TBs and ISGs
!Type of cooperation
|-
|Between TBs/SCs
| - Liaison officer - Liaison statement - Joint meeting(s) 
|-
| TBs/SCs with ISGs Between ISGs
| - Liaison officer from one ISG or TB/SC can attend another ISG meeting only if his/her organisation signed the ISG agreement
- Liaison statements
 - Joint meeting – see Section 6.3.3 above (meetings with non-Partners)
|-
|}

=ETSI Chair’s Responsibilities – Operational Coordination Group (OCG)=

==General==

The OCG:
*Acts as a focal point and a forum for co-ordination of and between the Technical Committees (TCs), ETSI Projects (EPs), ISGs, SCs, Coordination Groups (CGs) and the ETSI Secretariat.
*Provides an opportunity for Chairs and ETSI representatives to CGs initiated by external bodies to exchange information and experiences, to discuss any issues prior to formal resolution of substantial objections in the Board and respond to Board requests for information.
*Makes recommendations to the Board on the allocation of resources for STFs and on the proposed technical testing roadmap and priorities for TTFs.
The OCG is also involved in the endorsement of MoU’s, Cooperation Agreements, and the processing of PAS Supplements.

It shall resolve, as far as possible, any duplication of effort or conflict of technical views between the TBs/ISGs to reinforce co-operation between the Technical Organisation, the ISGs and the CGs.

A TB/ISG Chair will be periodically requested to report to the OCG on the progress, issues and topics for decision.

==The Chair’s role in the OCG==

OCG meetings are open to Technical Group Chairs, and meetings are called as required to fulfil the duties as mentioned above.

Periodically (typically every two years), each TB, SC, EP and ISG Chair is required to present progress reports to the Board meeting.

=STF/TTF Management and Chair’s responsibilities=

== General==

An active contribution of the Technical Group Chair is required in the phases listed below:

==Drafting the Terms of Reference==

The Chair makes sure that a new Special Task Force or Testing Task Force (STF/TTF) proposal, including the related Work Items, is supported by at least four (4) ETSI members and approved by the Reference Body, irrespective of the funding source.

==STF/TTF Work plan==

The work plan included in the STF/TTF Terms of Reference (ToR) is established by the Reference Body Chair, in consultation with the ETSI Secretariat, and contains the following elements:

*latest schedule for the availability of the base documents
*milestones and reporting schedule
*deliverables schedule
*tasks and resources assigned to the service providers
*provisional travel plan for the participation of service providers’ personnel to meetings and events.

==Submission of STF/TTF proposal ==

===Submission of STF proposal funded by ETSI===

STF proposals under the ETSI budget can be submitted in the two allocation steps, in October/November and in May/June (urgent requests only) time periods.

===Submission of STF proposal funded by EC/EFTA ===

Since April 2021, the EC changed the process for STF proposals funded by EC/EFTA and established a new Agency called the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA).

The STF proposals are first assessed by EC (DG GROW and/or any relevant DG). To be eligible for EC/EFTA funding, the STF proposals shall:

*be linked to a Commission priority, Commission strategy, EU legislation or other documents (e.g., the ICT Rolling Plan or the Annual Union Work Programme); and
*meet the Single Market Programme (SMP) objectives; and
*state the expected deliverables/outcomes; and
*mention the objective and verifiable criteria that will allow the EC to assess that the above deliverables/outcomes have been effectively fulfilled.

If the above criteria are met, EISMEA then evaluates the STF proposals with the following criteria:

*Relevance
*Quality — Project design and implementation
*Quality — Project team and cooperation arrangements
*Impact.
For each criterion there is a threshold, and each threshold shall be met to receive a positive assessment from EISMEA.

===Submission of TTF proposal===

The Technical Group Chair is to liaise with the CTI Director at each step of TTF proposal submission.

The initial TTF ToR should be sent to the CTI Director before the date indicated in the TTF Process Calendar, so it can be incorporated into the following year’s Technical Roadmap.

The Technical Group Chair is to present and defend the work behind the TTF proposal at the September Board/OCG meeting.

==Recruitment of the experts==

Applications from ETSI members active in the Technical Group are encouraged.

The STF/TTF Manager (ETSI Secretariat) and the Chair should assess the applications and draw up a short list of candidates.

To avoid a conflict of interest in the selection of service providers, the Reference Body Chair/Vice-Chair(s) and the Chair of the Working Group directly concerned by the STF/ TTF activity and who belong to an organisation that has an interest in applying for selection as a service provider to a funded STF/TTF, shall declare this to the Board and subsequently be excluded from all discussions and decisions related to the selection of the service providers.

==Preparatory Meeting (Experts’ interview)==

The Technical Group Chair should attend the preparatory meeting with the selected experts, appoint the STF/TTF Leader, and decide on the draft Work Plan and allocation of resources. This should be done in coordination with the ETSI STF/TTF Manager & Technical Officer and, in the case of a TTF, the CTI Director.

==Monitoring STF/TTF progress==

The Chair is expected to provide technical guidance. The STF/TTF leader is appointed by the Director-General in consultation with the relevant TB/ISG Chair. The STF/TTF leader acts as the interface with the Director-General for management of the STF/TTF, with the service provider(s) for coordination of the project and with the TB/ISG/SC Chair for technical control. It is recommended that a Steering Group (SG) is set up. It is essential to ensure the timely approval of the STF/TTF deliverables by the TB/ISG/SC.

==STF/TTF Reporting==

The Chair approves the STF/TTF Progress Reports which confirm the achievement of the intermediate milestones against which the experts’ companies will be paid by ETSI Director-General.

Whenever possible, the reports should be reviewed and endorsed by members of relevant TB/ISG/SC, before the approval by the TB/ISG/SC Chair.

==Closing the STF/TTF==

Upon completion of the STF/TTF work, the Technical Group Chair shall ensure that feedback is provided to the Director- General on the STF/TTF work.

=EC cooperation=

The ETSI Director-General (or a nominated substitute) represents ETSI within the relevant committees of the EC and EFTA concerning advisory or regulatory standardization issues.

The TB/ISG Chair should be aware of all the relevant liaisons between ETSI and the EC.

The TB/ISG Chair should also consider/verify relevant contributions of the TB/ISG to EC/EFTA Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP), the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy.

The main goal of contribution to AUWP is to indicate what needs to be mandated by the EC for ESOs (AUWP targets ESOs only). AUWP is adopted after having conducted EC consultation with relevant stakeholders: ESOs, Member States and Annex III organisations (see [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32012R1025 Regulation 1025/2012]). In many cases, a pre-condition for a Standardisation Request is an item in the AUWP. On the other hand, AUWP is not binding for the EC.

Standardisation actions identified in Rolling plan for ICT Standardisation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP).

Normally, it is for the ETSI Secretariat to coordinate the response to the AUWP, the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation and any other EU policy. Information is shared among the ETSI members through the ETSI OCG and relevant ETSI BOARD meetings.
References:
- AUWP - https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/notification-system_en
- Rolling plan for ICT standardisation - https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/

=ETSI working tools=

Most of ETSI’s work is carried out by electronic means - by email exploder lists and via the [https://portal.etsi.org/home.aspx ETSI portal].

Guidance is available from the [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Overview portal wiki help pages] including FAQs.

*An [https://portal.etsi.org/CreateAccount#/home ETSI on-line (EOL)] account is required to access most areas such as the ETSI portal.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/workprogram/SimpleSearch/QueryForm.asp ETSI Work Programme (EWP)] contains all the technical activities and work items of ETSI committees and ISGs and enables the download of ETSI publications via a search engine.
* [http://help.etsi.org/index.php?title=Remote_Consensus Remote Consensus] is the ETSI online tool to collect comments and measure consensus for contributions during a given period as opposed to during a face-to-face meeting.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/tbdecision3/Menu.asp TB Decision Support] application is designed to help the Technical Bodies/ISGs in their decision-making processes. Several types of formal Voting procedures (as opposed to consensus gathering) are predefined, including the vote for the approval of a draft, selecting a technology and electing officials.
*The [https://portal.etsi.org/webapp/EApproval/ e-Approval] application is the means for voting on draft ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, ETSI European Standards and ETSI Harmonized European Standards. The consultation of comments and/or results of votes on such documents is also possible.

=ETSI Secretariat Contacts=

The table below provides an overview of Secretariat teams available.
{| class="wikitable"
! Secretariat team
! Role
! Web page
|-
| Standards Development Centre (SDC)
|Secretariat support to Technical Groups.
| https://portal.etsi.org/People/Commitee-Support-Staff
|-
|Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI)
|Support to Technical Groups for the specification and validation of base standards and the development of test specifications.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/Centre-for-Testing-Interoperability/Contacts
|
|-
|editHelp!
|Support and guidance for the drafting and finalisation of ETSI deliverables.
| https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp
|
|-
|IT Helpdesk
|Assistance for technical issues on ETSI Portal, EOL accounts, etc.
| [mailto:helpdesk@etsi.org helpdesk@etsi.org]
|
|-
| Membership
|Advise on membership categories, application process, fees. Liaises with the Official member contact.
| https://www.etsi.org/membership
|
|-
| Funded Activities
|Support to STFs, TTFs, Plugtests™ and Special Projects at different levels:
*Project set-up
*Project lifecycle
*Project closing
Work closely with the OPS Division, Technical Groups and EC/EFTA (for some projects)
|https://portal.etsi.org/STF/STFs/Summary
|
|-
|Communications
|Manage the ETSI website, social media, press releases, webinars, blogposts, brochures, leaflets and the Enjoy! magazine. Manage the finalisation and publication of White Papers, not under the control of ETSI.
| https://www.etsi.org/newsroom
|
|-
|Events
|Manage endorsements of events and negotiate special conference rates (speaking slots and stands). Organise and promote ETSI workshops.
| https://www.etsi.org/events See forthcoming and past seminars, plugtests, webinar details.
|
|-
|Legal
|Responsible for the IPR Policy and IPR Guide, disclosure of Standard Essential Patents (SEP), and ownership of ETSI Copyright and Trademarks. Provision of legal advice upon request.
| https://www.etsi.org/about/legal
|
|-
|Partnerships
|Development and maintenance of the ETSI partnership portfolio, interaction with the National Standards Organisations (NSOs)
| https://www.etsi.org/about/our-partnerships
|
|}
=Annex 1 - Abbreviations=

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

*AUWP Annual Union Work Programme
*CA Co-operation Agreement
*CG Coordination Group
* CTI Centre for Testing and Interoperability
*EC European Commission
*EDRs ETSI Drafting Rules
*EG ETSI Guide
*EFTA European Free Trade Association
*EISMEA European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
*EN European Standard
*ENAP EN Approval Procedure
*EOL ETSI on-line
*EP ETSI Project
*EPP ETSI Partnership Project
*ES ETSI Standard
*ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
* EWP ETSI Work Programme
*FRAND Fair Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory
* GA General Assembly
*GR Group Report
*GS Group Specification
*HS Harmonised Standard
*ICT RP ICT Standardisation Rolling Plan
*IPR Intellectual Property Right
*ISG Industry Specification Group
*LOI Letter of Intent
*LS Liaison Statement
*MOU Memorandum of Understanding
*NSBG National Standards Body Group
*NSOG National Standards Organisation Group
*NWI New Work Item
*OCG Operational Co-ordination Group
*PAS Publicly Available Specification
*PEP Partnership Engagement Process
*RoP ETSI Rules of Procedure
*SC Special Committee
*SG Steering Group
*SR Special Report
*SRdAP Standardisation Request deliverables Approval Process
*STF Special Task Force
*TB Technical Body
*TG Task Group
*TC Technical Committee
*ToR Terms of Reference
*TR Technical Report
*TS Technical Specification
* TTF Testing Task Force
*TWPs Technical Working Procedures
*WG Working Group

----

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