Lithuania to implement the European Charter for Researchers
The Lithuanian government recently adopted a resolution which will effectively integrate the provisions of the 'European Charter for Researchers' and the 'Code of Conduct for Recruitment of Researchers' into the modus operandi of all public sector research and educational establishments. The resolution comes into effect in January 2006. In adopting resolution 906, the Lithuanian government is setting the pace for the recognition of researchers' rights and obligations and the harmonisation of working conditions throughout the country, and also in relation to other EU Member States. The resolution sets out minimum qualification requirements for of scientists, other researchers and teachers in national scientific and academic institutions, and establishes conditions and procedures for the organisation of open competitions to fill new vacancies. A distinction is made between requirements in the fields of biomedicine, physical and technological sciences and in those in the humanities and social sciences. These minimum requirements are non-retroactive in character, therefore the requirements do not apply to those who took their positions prior to the act entering into force. Also, the resolution does not apply to research trainees. The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment were published by the Commission in March 2005. These two documents are key elements in the EU's policy to make research an attractive career, part of its strategy to stimulate economic and employment growth. The Charter and Code of Conduct will give individual researchers the same rights and obligations wherever they work throughout the EU. The rationale behind these actions is that if researchers are provided with a fair professional environment, this will foster a more creative and better atmosphere for them and, consequently, enhance their research performance. Since their publication, the European Commission has been calling on Member States to implement them, highlighting the fact that the immediate success of the two initiatives depended on the readiness of Member States and national research bodies to take them forward. One of the requirements of the Lithuanian Resolution is that competitions for State posts in the area of research must be openly published on the public websites of the institutions concerned, as well as through the Lithuanian Science Council and the Lithuanian Researchers' Mobility Centre. Whilst the resolution only applies to the public sector, private research organisations and higher education establishments in Lithuania are also encouraged to implement its requirements.
Countries
Lithuania