Involved in the regulation of gene expression by abscisic acid, stress factors and by components of stress signal transduction pathways. Transcription factor that binds to the GCC-box pathogenesis-related promoter element. Part of a transcriptional repressor complex including a histone deacetylase. Interacts with SIN3 and HDA19. Contains a slightly degenerated ERF-associated amphiphilic repression (EAR) motif, which may be involved in the activity of transcriptional repression. Phosphorylated by PKS3. Belongs to the AP2/ERF transcription factor family. ERF subfamily.