The members of the Executive Board are to be appointed for eight years, and that term of office shall not be renewable (Article 109a). By contrast, the governors of the national central banks, who are to be appointed for at least five years, may be reappointed (Article 14, Protocol on the Statute of the ESCB and the ECB).
Relatively long terms of office and the fact that the term of office is not renewable are integral parts of a central bank statute based on the independence of the persons appointed. Academic study and research have dealt extensively with this issue and emphasised the significance of the independence of the appointees.