The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers

The European Charter for Researchers and the associated Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers constitute the main policy document of the European Union on the topic of the management of Human Resources in Science and Research. It has been adopted in the form of a Recommendation by the European Commission on 11 March 2005, and endorsed by the Council of Ministers in the same year. It is addressed not only to Member States, but to all those institutions where researchers are employed, to funding bodies of research activities, and to researchers themselves. Its elaboration has been undertaken by way of a dialogue among a wide list of stakeholders, under the political responsibility of the EU institutions.

The application of the principles of the Charter & Code is voluntary by all the parties concerned – the document is non-binding in its nature. However the policy area on the career development of researchers is one of the cornerstones of the European Research Area, since its formalisation in the year 2000. It is appropriate to say that the Charter & Code is a guideline document, or a possible reference, for the elaboration of a Human Resources policy within each research organization, or research department of complex organisations. In some countries the responsibility for a number of aspects referred to in the Charter & Code is a matter for national regulations, and call into question, in particular, the role of Governments and Parliaments. It is not a purpose of the EU to overrule these responsibilities but to provide an useful standard-based framework for all the parties concerned. Since the adoption of the Recommendation, many institutions across Europe have signed up to the principles of the Charter & Code, although many others (and many individual researchers) are not aware of its content and do not take advantage of its formulation.

To enhance the effectiveness of this approach, which is anyway an official EU policy, the European Commission has formulated a sort of “implementation process” that may help individual research institutions to self-assess their own internal policies and regulations (and the other external regulations to which they have to adhere) against the principles of the Charter & Code. This tool, called the “Human Resource Strategy for Researchers incorporating the Charter & Code”, is available at the Commission’s services in the form of a template for self-assessment; it includes a formal recognition by the Commission and some form of external evaluation.

EuroScience has contributed to the elaboration of the Charter & Code since its inception (see the history page), and supports the implementation of the Human Resource Strategy for Researchers, on which a Memorandum_(108.38 Kb) was adopted at the General Assembly during ESOF 2008.

See also:

• The EURAXESS Portal of the European Commission

• EURAXESS page with specific information material of the Charter & Code, including its translation in the EU languages