The hearing officer shall be fully responsible for the conduct of the hearing. The hearing officer shall ensure that the hearing is properly conducted in order to contribute to the fairness of the hearing itself and of any decision taken subsequently.

Hearings shall not be public. The hearing officer shall decide which persons should be heard on behalf of an interested party and whether the persons concerned should be heard separately or in the presence of other persons invited to attend. In the latter case, regard shall be had to the legitimate interest of the interested parties in the protection of their business secrets and other confidential information.

The hearing officer may allow the participants to pose and answer questions during the hearing.

If the hearing officer has admitted external experts, he shall ensure that these experts have the opportunity to present their views and answer to questions of other participants in the hearing.

Where appropriate after a hearing, in view of the need to ensure the right to be heard, after hearing the Director responsible or his delegate, the hearing officer may afford interested parties the opportunity of submitting further written comments. The hearing officer shall fix a date by which such submissions may be made. Written comments received after that date may not be taken into account.