Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,

Whereas:

In order to examine general research policy issues, the European Research Advisory Board was set up by Commission Decision 2001/531/EC, Euratom^f1.

Given the new challenges related to research, the Commission, in its Green Paper ‘The European Research Area: New Perspectives’^f2, envisaged a reform of the European Research Advisory Board in order to enhance its role in the realisation of a European Research Area and to make the operation of that group more flexible and efficient.

It is therefore necessary to set up a new group of experts in the field of European research and technological development policies and to define its tasks and structure.

The group should advise the Commission on the realisation of the European Research Area, taking into account the objectives set out in the Commission's Green Paper ‘The European Research Area: New Perspectives’.

The group should support the Commission in its efforts to achieve the objectives specified in Council Decision 2006/970/Euratom of 18 December 2006 concerning the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) for nuclear research and training activities (2007 to 2011)^f3 and Council Decision 2006/971/EC of 19 December 2006 concerning the Specific Programme Cooperation implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)^f4.

The group should be composed of specialists from the scientific community, industry, the services sector and social actors.

Rules on disclosure of information by members of the new group should be provided for, without prejudice to the rules on security annexed to the Commission’s Rules of Procedure by Decision 2001/844/EC, ECSC, Euratom^f5.

Personal data relating to members of the group should be processed in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data^f6.

It is appropriate to fix a period for the application of this Decision. The Commission will in due time consider the advisability of an extension.

Decision 2001/531/EC, Euratom should be replaced by this Decision,

DECIDES: