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dress the key weaknesses of the
(4)
, to broaden the traditional funding instruments of
the Framework Programme, and to expand their target audience to reach even more outstanding researchers.
In this sense, for many years the European scientific community - under the active leadership of the Commis-
sioner for Research - has sought to create a novel approach to EU research funding dedicated to investigator-
initiated “frontier” research. The European Research Council (ERC) officially came into existence on
(5)
, in accordance with the
(6)
,
(7)
, and the
(8)
.
Presently, the ERC has a dual structure with an independent Scientific Council, setting the scientific strategy, and
an autonomous Executive Agency that handle the operational management. The ERC operates with autonomy
and integrity, and is guaranteed by the European Commission, to which it is accountable.
Between February and July 2009 a
(9)
of the ERC’s structures and mechanisms was
undertaken by an independent panel of experts appointed by the European Commission. The overall conclu-
sion of the Review was that the ERC has become a recognised success story of the 7
th
Framework programme,
having established itself as an indispensable component of the European Research Area with a high reputation
for the quality and efficiency of its operations. Nevertheless, concerns were expressed about the long-term sus-
tainability of the ERC’s legal and administrative structure, and the need to further adapt the governance bodies,
mechanisms, administrative rules and practices to the ERC’s mission to become a truly world-class funding
agency in frontier research. Following the recommendations set by the review panel to streamline governance
and to couple the two constituents of the ERC - the Scientific Council and The Executive Agency - two integrative
mechanisms have been developed: the Secretary General and the ERC Board.
In December 2010, the Commission established an
(10)
with the mandate to provide options
for a long-lasting legal and organisational structure of the ERC. The Task Force, in agreement with the 2009
review, concluded that an improved structure of the Executive Agency was needed, in view of the forthcoming
Framework Programme for Research and Innovation for 2014-2020 “Horizon 2020”. Its major recommendation
was to increase the ERC’s operational autonomy, i.e. to reduce the powers of the Commission concerning the
ERC’s governance, and to have better arrangements for the supervision of ERC scientific, administrative and
financial operations.
The ERC Scientific Council (ScC)
is the decision-making body of the ERC. The Chair of the
Scientific Council is the President of the ERC who acts as the formal representative of the ERC as well as of its
Scientific Council before the European Commission and other bodies.
The Scientific Council’s role is to set up the ERC’s overall scientific strategy and the Work Programme, to monitor
and control quality and performance, and to establish a communication strategy. From a scientific perspective, it
is also responsible for establishing positions on the implementation and management of calls for proposals and
evaluation criteria, peer review processes and proposal evaluation.
The ERC Scientific Council is composed of 22 eminent scientists and scholars, including a number of Nobel
Prize winners that have been appointed by the Commission on the basis of their undisputed reputation as lead-
ers - independent and committed to research. Additionally, in 2009, an “Identification Committee” was set up by
the Commission in order to identify new members to fill vacant posts in the Scientific Council and make recom-
mendations on a method for the future replacement of its members.
The current President of the ERC is Prof. Dr Helga Nowotny (serving since 1 March 2010). She chairs the ERC
Board and Scientific Council meetings and prepares the agenda. The president is assisted by two Vice-Presi-
dents who are equally the Vice-Chairs of the Scientific Council. It has to be noted that Prof. Dr. Fotis C. Kafatos
was the first ERC President (until 1 March 2010) and has been elected Honorary President.
The ERC Executive Agency (ERCEA).
Based in Brussels and with 350 staff by the end of
2011, the Executive Agency implements the Specific Programme IDEAS according to the strategies and method-
ologies established by the independent ERC Scientific Council. At the launch of the ERC in February 2007, there
10
the
case of
GREECE
5
years of
Excellence in
the European
Research Area
2007-2011