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Directorate-General of the Joint Research Centre (European Commission)
Encyclopedia
The Joint Research Centre (JRC), located in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, is a Directorate-General
Directorate-General
A Directorate-General is a branch of an administration dedicated to a specific field of expertise.* The European Commission: Commission Directorates-General are each headed by a European Commissioner;* The European Patent Office: EPO Directorates-General;...
of the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
. Its current Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
is Máire Geoghegan-Quinn
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn is an Irish politician, and is the current European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science. She previously served as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Galway West constituency from 1975 to 1997...
, and the Director General is Dominique Ristori.
The JRC provides independent scientific and technical advice to the European Commission and Member States of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU) in support of EU policies.
The Directorate General, the Directorate for Programmes and stakeholders relations
Programmes and stakeholders relations
The Programmes and stakeholders relations Directorate or PSR, located in Brussels, Belgium and Ispra, Italy, is part of the Joint Research Centre , a Directorate-General of the European Commission ....
and the Directorate for Resource management
Directorate for Resource Management
The Directorate for Resource management or DRM, located in Brussels, Belgium, is part of the Joint Research Centre , a Directorate-General of the European Commission ....
are located in Ispra
Ispra
Ispra is a comune and small town on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, in the province of Varese .Some of the main Institutes of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission are located there, including the Institute for the Protection and the Security of the Citizen , the Institute for...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The seven scientific institutes of the Joint Research Centre are located at five different sites in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
: Geel
Geel
Geel is a city located in the Belgian province of Antwerp which acquired the status of a city in the 1980s.It comprises Central-Geel which is constituted of 4 old parishes a/o towns : Sint-Amand, Sint-Dimpna, Holven and Elsum...
(BE), Ispra
Ispra
Ispra is a comune and small town on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, in the province of Varese .Some of the main Institutes of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission are located there, including the Institute for the Protection and the Security of the Citizen , the Institute for...
(IT), Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
(DE), Petten
Petten
Petten is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Zijpe, and lies about 15 km northwest of Alkmaar, on the North Sea. The population is ca. 1900....
(NL) and Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
(ES).
Mission
The EU inherited the JRC from EURATOM. Originally focussed on nuclear research, the mission has been extended to fields like health and environment. Today, the official mission statement reads:"The mission of the JRC is to provide customer-driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of EU policies. As a service of the European Commission, the JRC functions as a reference centre of science and technology for the Union. Close to the policy-making process, it serves the common interest of the Member States, while being independent of special interests, whether private or national."
Structure
The organisation structure is currently based on the following specialised Institutes.- BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium- The Directorate General (DG)
- The Programmes and stakeholders relationsProgrammes and stakeholders relationsThe Programmes and stakeholders relations Directorate or PSR, located in Brussels, Belgium and Ispra, Italy, is part of the Joint Research Centre , a Directorate-General of the European Commission ....
Directorate (PSR) - The Directorate for Resource managementDirectorate for Resource ManagementThe Directorate for Resource management or DRM, located in Brussels, Belgium, is part of the Joint Research Centre , a Directorate-General of the European Commission ....
(DRM)
- GeelGeelGeel is a city located in the Belgian province of Antwerp which acquired the status of a city in the 1980s.It comprises Central-Geel which is constituted of 4 old parishes a/o towns : Sint-Amand, Sint-Dimpna, Holven and Elsum...
, Belgium- The Institute for Reference Materials and MeasurementsInstitute for Reference Materials and MeasurementsThe Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements , located in Geel, Belgium, is one of the seven institutes of the Joint Research Centre , a Directorate-General of the European Commission ....
(IRMM)
- The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements
- KarlsruheKarlsruheThe City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
, Germany- The Institute for Transuranium ElementsInstitute for Transuranium ElementsThe Institute for Transuranium Elements is a European Commission nuclear research institute in Karlsruhe, Germany. The ITU is one of the seven institutes of the Joint Research Centre , a Directorate-General of the European Commission . The ITU has about 300 staff...
(ITU)
- The Institute for Transuranium Elements
- IspraIspraIspra is a comune and small town on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, in the province of Varese .Some of the main Institutes of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission are located there, including the Institute for the Protection and the Security of the Citizen , the Institute for...
, Italy- The Institute for the Protection and the Security of the Citizen (IPSC)
- The Institute for Environment and SustainabilityInstitute for Environment and SustainabilityThe Institute for Environment and Sustainability is a specialised institute of the Joint Research Centre directorate of the European Commission, based at Ispra, Italy...
(IES) - The Institute for Health and Consumer ProtectionInstitute for Health and Consumer ProtectionThe Institute for Health and Consumer Protection or IHCP, located in Ispra, Italy, is one of the seven institutes of the Joint Research Centre , a Directorate-General of the European Commission ....
(IHCP)
- PettenPettenPetten is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Zijpe, and lies about 15 km northwest of Alkmaar, on the North Sea. The population is ca. 1900....
, Netherlands- The Institute for EnergyInstitute for EnergyThe Institute for Energy or IE, located in Petten, the Netherlands, is one of the seven institutes of the Joint Research Centre , a Directorate-General of the European Commission ....
(IE)
- The Institute for Energy
- Sevilla, Spain
- The Institute for Prospective Technological StudiesInstitute for Prospective Technological StudiesThe Institute for Prospective Technological Studies or IPTS, located in Seville, Spain, is one of the seven institutes of the Joint Research Centre , a Directorate-General of the European Commission .- Fields of expertise :...
(IPTS)
- The Institute for Prospective Technological Studies
Critique
The EURATOM research institutes have been criticized since the 1970s for overmanagement and scientific unproductivity. For instance, a report to the European ParliamentEuropean Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in the mid-1980s "condemned the centres for their top-heavy management. At Ispra
Ispra
Ispra is a comune and small town on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, in the province of Varese .Some of the main Institutes of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission are located there, including the Institute for the Protection and the Security of the Citizen , the Institute for...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, 700 of the 1600 staff are listed as researchers. But the report claims that most of them are full-time administrators. The actual scientific life of the institute rests on 30-40 people."
See also
- Directorate-GeneralDirectorate-GeneralA Directorate-General is a branch of an administration dedicated to a specific field of expertise.* The European Commission: Commission Directorates-General are each headed by a European Commissioner;* The European Patent Office: EPO Directorates-General;...
- Directorate-General for Research
- Directorate-General for Information Society and Media (European Commission)Directorate-General for Information Society and Media (European Commission)EU Directorate General Information Society and Media or "DG Infso" is a Directorate-General of the European Commission.The current European Commissioner for Digital Agenda is Neelie Kroes and the Director-General is Robert Madelin....
- ERAWATCH
- European Research AreaEuropean Research AreaThe European Research Area is a system of scientific research programmes integrating the scientific resources of the European Union . Since its inception in 2000, the structure has been concentrated on multi-national co-operation in the fields of medical, environmental, industrial and...
(ERA) - European Research CouncilEuropean Research CouncilThe European Research Council is the independent body that funds investigator-driven frontier research in the European Union . It is part of the Seventh Research Framework Programme ....
(ERC) - European Institute of TechnologyEuropean Institute of TechnologyThe European Institute of Innovation and Technology is a public European institute which was established on 11 March 2008. It was set up in order to ‘address Europe's innovation gap’, and is the EU's flagship education institute designed to assist innovation, research and growth in the European...
(EIT) - European Research Advisory BoardEuropean Research Advisory BoardEURAB was the European Research Advisory Board from 2001 to 2007. Its successor - since 2008 - is the European Research Area Board .It is a high-level, independent, advisory committee created by the European Commission to provide advice on the design and implementation of EU research policy. EURAB...
(EURAB) - European SchoolEuropean SchoolThe European Schools are co-educational schools providing nursery, primary and secondary. They are established to provide free education for children of personnel of the European Institutions and leading to the European Baccalaureate. Other children may be admitted subject to the availability of...
- Framework Programmes for Research and Technological DevelopmentFramework Programmes for Research and Technological DevelopmentThe Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development, also called Framework Programmes or abbreviated FP1 through FP8, are funding programmes created by the European Union in order to support and encourage research in the European Research Area...
- Joint Technology Initiative
- Lisbon StrategyLisbon StrategyThe Lisbon Strategy, also known as the Lisbon Agenda or Lisbon Process, was an action and development plan devised in 2000, for the economy of the European Union between 2000 and 2010....
- Seventh Framework Programme
- Sixth Framework Programme