ly independent in the performance of their
duties.
In the performance of these duties, they shall neither seek nor take
instructions from any government or from any other body. They shall
refrain from any action incompatible with their duties. Each Member
State undertakes to respect this principle and not to seek to influence
the members of the Commission in the performance of their tasks.
The members of the Commission may not, during their term of office,
engage in any other occupation, whether gainful or not. When entering
upon their duties they shall give a solemn undertaking that, both
during and after their term of office, they will respect the obligations
arising therefrom and in particular their duty to behave with integrity
and discretion as regards the acceptance, after they have ceased to
hold office, of certain appointments or benefits. In the events of any
breach of these obligations, the Court of Justice may, on application
by the Council or the Commission, rule that the member concerned be,
according to the circumstances, either compulsorily retired in
accordance with Article 160 or deprived of his rights to a pension or
benefits in its stead.
ARTICLE 158
1. The members of the Commission shall be appointed, in accordance
with the procedure referred to in paragraph 2, for a period of five
years, subject, if need be, to Article 144.
Their term of office shall be renewable.
2. The governments of the Member States shall nominate by common
accord, after consulting the European Parliament, the person they
intend to appoint as President of the Commission.
The governments of the Member States shall, in consultation with the
nominee for President, nominate the other persons whom they intend
to appoint as members of the Commission.
The President and the other members of the Commission thus
nominated shall be subject as a body to a vote of approval by the
European Parliament. After approval by the European parliament, the
President and the other members of the Commission shall be
appointed by common accord of the governments of the Member
States.
3. Paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be applied for the first time to the
President and the other members of the Commission whose term of
office begins on 7 January 1995.
The president and the other members of the Commission whose term
of office begins on 7 January 1993 shall be appointed by common
accord of the governments of the Member States. Their term of office
shall expire