1.The Commission shall establish without delay a group of experts responsible for conducting the preliminary assessment referred to in Article 42(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 (‘the preliminary assessment group’).The preliminary assessment group shall consist of experts designated by the Member States, experts from the European Food Safety Authority, and from the Commission.The preliminary assessment group may ask the Member State concerned or the Commission for additional information or clarifications, as required by the contents and the subject of their technical dossier.The preliminary assessment group shall assess the phytosanitary risk of the plants, plant products or other objects concerned. The preliminary assessment group shall complete the preliminary assessment within a reasonable period of time. The Commission shall make that assessment available to the Member States.