The President of the European Commission has outlined the mandate of the Chief Scientific Adviser as follows:

• To provide independent expert advice on any aspect of science, technology and innovation as requested by the President;
• Upon a request by the President, to provide analysis and opinion on major policy proposals being submitted to the College touching upon issues of science, technology and innovation; in particular the Chief Scientific Adviser will provide authoritative guidance on interpretation of scientific evidence in presence of uncertainty, and will be involved in strategic emergency planning;
• To build relationships with high-level advisory groups (e.g. European Research Area Board), the scientific Committees of the Commission, the EU agencies (European Medicine Agency, European Food Safety Authority, the European Chemicals Agency and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control), the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies;
• To build relationships with similar structures in Member States and other countries;
• To advise on novel science, technology and innovation issues arising both in the context of the EU and internationally; to serve as an early warning conduct point on issues that might arise when scientific progress entails either opportunity or threat for the EU;
• To communicate the scientific values on which specific Commission proposals are based in order to enhance public confidence in science and technology, and in general to promote European culture of science and technology widely within Europe and abroad;
• To chair the President's Science and Technology Advisory Council.

A presentation outlining the setup of the Chief Scientific Adviser's function can be found here. [394 KB]

Born on 19th April 1956, Anne Glover studied at Edinburgh University (UK) for a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry 1974-78 and then studied at Cambridge University (UK) where she obtained a Doctorate in Molecular Microbiology 1978-81.

She has pursued a career in scientific research at Aberdeen University (UK) where she took up the post of Lecturer in 1983 becoming a Professor in 2001. Her research has been varied and she has investigated how proteins are synthesised and directed to the correct location within our cells, the diversity and function of the microbial population in soil, the development of biological sensors (biosensors) to detect environmental pollution and more recently, how we respond to stress at the molecular level. This current area of research has particular relevance to how we age (our cells are under stress in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease) and also how we respond to artificial stresses such as chemotherapy.

In 1999 she commercialised some of her biosensor technology into a successful company which diagnoses environmental pollution and provides solutions for its clean-up.

Anne has played major roles for UK research councils in the setting of strategic priorities and budgets for science and has been a partner in several European research initiatives. In 2006, she was awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) by the Queen in recognition of her services to environmental sciences. She also holds honorary degrees of various universities.

In 2008 she was made a Woman of Outstanding Achievement in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) and has worked hard to raise the profile of women in SET and to ensure that not only are women are recruited into careers in SET but that they are supported to remain in the profession during their careers.

Anne has a strong interest in how science, engineering and technology can contribute to the developing world and chaired the UK Collaborative on Development Sciences 2009-2011.

2006-2011 Anne served as first Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland, advising the Scottish First Minister.

Anne joined the European Commission on the 1st January 2012 as first Chief Scientific Adviser to the President. Her mandate is linked to the one of the President, i.e. it expires at the end of 2014. In February 2013 she has been appointed to chair the newly created Science and Technology Advisory Council to the President.

As an employee of the European Commission I am legally bound to the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities . I refer in particular to Title II on the rights and obligations of officials (Articles 11-26a). Amongst other issues, the Staff Regulations demand me to declare any conflicts of interest to my employer and have any outside activities authorised by the Commission. 

Although, contrary to European Commissioners, as a Commission staff member I am not obliged to make a public declaration on conflicts of interest, I do think this is important in order to safeguard the independence of my role both as a Chief Scientific Adviser and as Chair of the President's Science and Technology Advisory Council. It also follows respective demands from the public, which I am happy to follow.

Please read my Conflict of Interest Statement here. [215 KB]

Dr Jan Marco Müller
(Assistant to the Chief Scientific Adviser)
Phone: +32-2-2992883
e-mail: jan.mueller(at)ec.europa.eu 

Curriculum Vitae [78 KB]

Responsibilities:

• CSA presentations and speeches
• External communications (Press, Website)
• Research and education policies
• Contacts with other Government Science Advisers
• Contacts with European science & technology associations
• Contacts with Academies and Learned Societies
• Contacts with scientific stakeholders in Member States
• Contacts with EC scientific advisory groups
• Contacts with EU agencies
• Contacts with European Parliament and Council
• Contacts with the Cabinet of the Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science
• Contacts with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and DG Research and Innovation
• Policy areas: Research, climate, transport, energy, regional policies
• Contacts with the Americas

Dr Didier Schmitt
(Scientific Adviser & Foresight Coordinator)
Phone: +32-2-2952408
e-mail: didier.schmitt(at)ec.europa.eu

Curriculum Vitae [74 KB]

Responsibilities:

• Foresight
• Knowledge exchange and innovation
• Digital agenda
• Crisis management
• Polar, marine and space issues
• Science diplomacy
• Science and culture
• Contacts with the President's Cabinet
• Contacts with the Bureau of European Policy Advisers (BEPA)
• Policy Areas: Health and consumers, enterprise and industry, employment, digital agenda, security and humanitarian aid, maritime affairs, foreign relations
• Contacts with Russia and ACP countries

Xameerah Malik
(Adviser)
Phone: +32-2-2987535
e-mail: xameerah.malik(at)ec.europa.eu

Curriculum Vitae [76 KB]

Responsibilities:

• Science and Technology Advisory Council
• Science and Society
• Ethics
• Contacts with industry and NGOs
• Contacts with the Secretariat-General, incl. Impact Assessment Board
• Policy Areas: Environment, agriculture
• Contacts with the Near East and Asia

Suzanne Speer
(PA to the Chief Scientific Adviser)
Phone: +32-2-2996631
e-mail: suzanne.speer(at)ec.europa.eu

Lydia Laura
(Secretary)
Phone: +32-2-2955790
e-mail: lydia.laura(at)ec.europa.eu

• 13-14 October - CSA in Warsaw: Speaking at the EFC Research Forum Annual Conference, meeting the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences Michał Kleiber and the Minister of Science and Higher Education Lena Kolarska-Bobińska
• 16 October - CSA speaking at the event “Golden Rice revolution: Blessing or threat?” organised by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation
• 21 October - CSA participating to the 6th EC International Dialogue on Bioethics on “The ethics of citizen involvement and health”
• 28 October - CSA in Reading: Attending the inauguration of the new high-performance computing facilities of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)

In this new section you will find documents related to my work.

01/10/2013: Berlaymont Paper: "Science and Society: Time for a new deal" [2 MB]

24/10/2013: Minutes of a meeting with experts to discuss the scientific evidence around endocrine disrupting chemicals [41 KB]

The President's Science and Technology Advisory Council is an independent and informal group of science and technology experts from academia, business and civil society, covering a broad range of disciplines and uniting expertise from across the European Research Area. Established in January 2013 and chaired by the Chief Scientific Adviser, the task of the Council is to examine areas where research and innovation can contribute to Europe's growth — with a particular focus on benefits and risks of advances in science & technology and how to address and communicate these.

For more information related to the mandate of the Council, the profiles of its members, as well as the documents related to its meetings, including the opinion papers the Council provides to the President of the European Commission, please consult the Council's website.

European Commission

Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science
Joint Research Centre (JRC)
DG Research and Innovation (RTD)
DG Education and Culture (EAC)
Innovation Union
European Research Area (ERA)
Horizon 2020 – The Framework Programme for Research and Innovation
European Research Council (ERC)
Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS)
EURAXESS – European Researchers Mobility Portal

Research-related Committees and Boards of the European Institutions

European Commission
President's Science and Technology Advisory Council (STAC)
European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE)
European Research and Innovation Area Board (ERIAB) 

Council of the European Union
Competitiveness Council
European Research Area Committee (ERAC)
European Strategic Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI)
High Level Group for Joint Programming (GPC)
Strategic Forum for International S&T Cooperation (SFIC)

European Parliament
Committee for Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)
Scientific and Technology Options Assessment Panel (STOA)

European Agencies with a strong scientific profile

European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
European Defence Agency (EDA)
European Environment Agency (EEA)
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
European Medicines Agency (EMA)
European Union Satellite Centre (EUSC)
Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)
European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA)
Research Executive Agency (REA)

European Research-Performing and Training Organisations

Academy of European Law (ERA)
College of Europe (CoE)
European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)
European Forest Institute (EFI)
European Fusion Development Agreement (EFDA)
European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA)
European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)
European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)
European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN)
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
European Space Agency (ESA)
European Spallation Source (ESS)
European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF)
European University Institute (EUI)
European XFEL Laser Facility
Fusion for Energy (F4E)
Institute for Security Studies (ISS)
Institute Laue-Langevin (ILL)

European Science and Technology Associations

Academia Europaea
All European Academies (ALLEA)
EIROforum
European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC)
European Academy of Sciences (EURASC)
European Association for the Promotion of Science and Technology (EUROSCIENCE)
European Association of Research and Technology Organisations (EARTO)
European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA)
European Council of Academies of Applied Sciences, Technologies and Engineering (EURO-CASE)
European Science Foundation (ESF)
European Union of Science Journalists' Associations (EUSJA)
European University Association (EUA)
League of European Research Universities (LERU)
Science Europe
Scientix – The community for science education in Europe

Other Chief Scientific Advisers

Australia – Chief Scientist
India – Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser
Ireland – Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser
New Zealand – Office of the Prime Minister's Science Advisory Committee
United Kingdom – Government Office for Science
United States of America – President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)

Professor Anne Glover CBE
Chief Scientific Adviser to the President
European Commission
Berlaymont 08/039
Rue de la Loi 200
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
Phone: +32-2-2995021
e-mail: ec-csa@ec.europa.eu