I.-The independent third-party body referred to in V of article L. 225-102-1 is appointed, as appropriate, by the Chief Executive Officer or the Chairman of the Management Board, for a period not exceeding six financial years, from among the bodies accredited for this purpose by the French Accreditation Committee (COFRAC) or by any other accreditation body that is a signatory to the multilateral recognition agreement established by the European Coordination of Accreditation Bodies.
The independent third-party body is subject to the incompatibilities provided for in article L. 822-11-3.
II.-When the information is published by companies whose thresholds exceed 100 million euros for the balance sheet total or 100 million euros for the net turnover and 500 for the average number of permanent employees during the financial year, the report of the independent third-party body includes:
a) A reasoned opinion on the compliance of the declaration with the provisions set out in I and II of Article R. 225-105, as well as on the fairness of the information provided pursuant to 3° of I and II of Article R. 225-105;
b) The steps it has taken to carry out its verification assignment.
III.-A joint order of the Minister of Justice and the Ministers for Ecology, the Economy and Labour specifies the terms and conditions under which the independent third-party body carries out its mission.
IV.-Where a company voluntarily complies with Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS), the declaration signed by the environmental verifier in accordance with the provisions of Articles 8 and 9 of Article 25 of this Regulation, appended to the management report, constitutes the opinion of the independent third-party body on the environmental information.
Information that is not verified by the environmental verifier referred to in the previous paragraph remains subject to verification by the independent third-party body in accordance with the procedures defined in I, II, III and IV.