20 4.2. The tasks of the Civil Consultative Body The CCB operates as a single entity. During the CCB’s operation, its members may submit suggestions as regards the contents of the NPM’s annual schedule of visits and its inspection priorities, recommend the involvement of experts with specific knowledge who may also be affiliated with the organizations they represent. The CCB may review the NPM’s working methods, reports, information materials for the general public, and other publications; discuss the training plan necessary for developing the skills of staff members authorized to perform the NPM’s tasks; participate in conferences, workshops, exhibitions and other events organized by the NPM.62 The Department’s staff members compiled the NPM’s draft schedule of visits for 2015 after studying the CCB’s recommendations. I also took into account the CCB’s recommendation when approving the schedule of visits. The NPM has to develop coherent and transparent policies and rules of procedure in order to employ external experts with suitable expertise and practical knowledge.63 Since, in the absence of applicants, the legal provision stipulating the employment of two public servants with medical degree could not be complied with, certain members of the Hungarian Medical Chamber and the Hungarian Psychiatric Association participated in the NPM’s inspections as external experts. When selecting external experts, I also took into account, in addition to the recommendations of the Hungarian Medical Chamber and the Hungarian Psychiatric Association, the relevant provisions of the prevailing legal regulations on the activities of judicial experts.64 I duly forward all reports on the NPM’s visits to the members of the CCB. 4.3. The operation of the Civil Consultative Body The three-year mandate of the CCB shall be counted from the date of its first meeting, i.e., from November 19, 2014.65 The participants reviewed the possibilities for cooperation within the frameworks of the NPM’s activities to be officially started on January 01, 2015. The members of the CCB were briefed on the professional skills of the public servants at the NPM’s disposal and discussed the conditions of the external experts’ involvement. My colleagues reviewed the preparations for performing the tasks of the NPM, the methodology of visits to various places of detention, and the legal frameworks of cooperation between the National Preventive Mechanism and civil society organizations. The CCB held two meetings in 2015. On April 23, the staff members of the Department informed the Body on the conclusions of the visits conducted so far, and discussed some methodological and budgetary issues with the participants. The main topic of the third, November 24 meeting of the CCB was the dialog with various state organs, with special attention paid to the results of the operative and legislative proposals, and the See Section 6 of Directive 3/2014 (November 11) of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights on the establishment and rules of procedure of the Civil Consultative Body assisting the National Preventive Mechanism in carrying out its duties 63 See Section 16, Paragraph (e), Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment: Analytical assessment tool for national preventive mechanisms, (CAT/OP/1/Rev.1) 64 See Act XLVII of 2005 on the activities of judicial experts, and the provisions of Decree No. 9/2006. IM of the Minister of Justice on the specialties of judicial experts and on the qualification and other professional conditions related to them 65 See Section 1, Subsection (6) of Directive 3/2014 (November 11) of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights on the establishment and rules of procedure of the Civil Consultative Body assisting the National Preventive Mechanism in carrying out its duties 62