relevant to the interview, while other caseworkers proceed to further investigate the incidents by asking focused questions. 5.3. Appeal Indicators: Fast-track border procedure: Appeal Same as regular procedure 1. Does the law provide for an appeal against the decision in the accelerated procedure? Yes No v If yes, is it Judicial Administrative v If yes, is it suspensive Yes Some grounds No In 2023, a total of 960 appeals were lodged on the islands against first instance decisions by the Asylum Service.556 Changes in the Appeals Committees As noted in the Regular procedure, Article 148 Asylum Code557 provides that the Appeals Committees under the Independent Appeals Authority, comprised of administrative judges, may operate in a single or three-member composition. Rules and time limits for appeal Similar to the first instance fast-track border procedure, truncated time limits are also foreseen in the appeal stage. In particular, the deadline for appealing a negative decision is 10 days, instead of the 30 days deadline foreseen in the regular procedure.558 The Appeals Committee examining the appeal must make a decision within seven days,559 contrary to 30 days in the regular procedure.560 In practice, this very short deadline is difficult for the Appeals Committees to meet, and raises serious concerns over the quality of the decisions issued. From 1 December 2019 to 31 December 2023, the average time from appeal lodging to issuance of decision (12,334 second instance decisions in total as regards appeals against islands’ RAOs first instance decisions) was 81 days.561 Additionally, from 1 December 2019 to 31 December 2023, the average time from appeal examination to issuance of decision by the Appeals Committees (12,972 decisions in total) was 55 days.562 As a rule, the procedure before the Appeals Committees must be written, based on the examination of the dossier, except from cases, provided by the article 102(3) Asylum Code, where the Appeals Committee decides to call for an oral hearing.563 As far as the appeal procedure is concerned, in addition to the concerns related to the admissibility of appeals in general (see Regular Procedure), it shall be noted that it is practically impossible for the applicants to submit an appeal on their own, i.e., without legal aid. Specifically, Article 98 of the Asylum Code requires, for the appeal to be admissible, inter alia, reference and development of specified reasons for the appeal. At the same time, the negative decisions are served to the applicants in Greek, and though a simplified text in a language the applicant is expected to understand is served as an accompanying 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 MoMA, Statistics, Consolidated Reports - Overview: December 2023 - International Protection | Appendix A, available at: https://tinyurl.com/yc2stzh7, table 10a. Previously Article 116 IPA. Article 95(3)(c) Asylum Code. Article 95(3)(c) Asylum Code. Article 106(1)(a) Asylum Code. MoMA, Statistics, Consolidated Reports - Overview: December 2023 - International Protection | Appendix A, available at: https://tinyurl.com/yc2stzh7, p. 11. Ibid. Article 102(3) Asylum Code. 120