French CNRS opens up to scientific community
On 25 October, the French Council of Ministers adopted a modified version of a decree concerning the organisation and functioning of their national centre of scientific research (CNRS). Changes to the organisation of the centre include the creation of a committee involving scientists from EU Member States. Presenting the new statuary text, Mr Schwartzenberg stated the five principal objectives of the decree: - to clarify the division of competences between the president and the director general - to spread the competences of the council of administration - to reinforce the autonomy of the CNRS - to introduce a committee of ethics to the CNRS - to ensure the opening up of the CNRS to the international scientific community Measures to open up the CNRS include the creation of an external evaluation committee. The committee will be composed of foreign as well as French scientists, at least five of whom will come from EU Member States. The committee will evaluate the activities of the CNRS every four years.