The adoption of measures to promote the mobility of researchers and creating more stable and attractive working conditions for this group were two of the subjects discussed this Tuesday by the formal Council of Competitiveness Ministers (Research) in Brussels, chaired by the Spanish Minister of Science and Innovation, Cristina Garmendia.

After the formal meeting of Competitiveness and Research Ministers of the EU in Brussels, chaired by the Spanish Cristina Garmendia, the Council has invited Member States “to extend social coverage to researchers in all stages of their careers, including Ph.D. students” according to their national legislation.

Furthermore, the Council has recommended to the European Commission that it presents a work plan with specific actions to promote social security coverage for all researchers that carry out remunerated research activities.

In terms of supplementary pensions for researchers, Garmendia stated that she has proposed to the Commission that it discusses “the particular situation” of scientists. She pointed out that the EC is drafting a green paper on the creation of a European framework for “sufficient and sustainable” pensions.

Innovation, at the centre of the 2020 Strategy

The Commissioner for Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, said she was convinced that the EU must place science and innovation at the centre of the 2020 Strategy and that researchers should be protected. “We do not want to have a brain-drain because that would slow down our development”, stated the Commissioner.

As a result of the discussion on improving researchers' working conditions, the Council produced a document on its conclusions which will be taken by a delegation of ministers to the Council of Employment on 8 March so it can take measures in the area of its competencies.

Meanwhile, the Council also endorsed a second document of conclusions related to the evaluation of mechanisms and structures of the European Research Council (ERC). Specifically, the agreement reached ensures the efficient functioning of the ERC in the coming years, in response to the needs identified by scientists in the external evaluation made in 2009 after the proposal of European Commission.

The ERC is the leading European frontier research funding agency based exclusively on scientific criteria. Its funding comes under the R&D Framework Programme 2007-2013, but it has special instruments and work criteria with a high degree of autonomy in the decisions it takes, in keeping with the best practices applicable to science funding agencies.