EN    EN EN 
 
EN    EN  COMMISSION OF THE E UROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 23/05/2008 
SEC(2008)1912 
  
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 
Accompanying document to the 
    
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSI ON TO THE CO UNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 
  
BETTER CAREERS AND MO RE MOBILITY: A EUROPEAN PARTNERSHIP FOR 
RESEARCHERS 
  
 
 
IMPACT ASSESSMENT  
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY  
  
{COM(2008) aaa final} 
{SEC(2008) bbbb} 
 
EN 2   EN The proposal this Impact Assessment acco mpanies is one of five initiatives1 planned in 2008 
to follow up the 2007 Green Paper on how to achieve a more open, competitive and attractive European Research Area as part of wider effo rts to transform the EU economy towards more 
knowledge intensive activities.   
The 2008 Spring European Council  confirmed investing in people and modernising labour 
markets, and investing in  knowledge and innovation
2 as priority areas for the renewed Lisbon 
Strategy for Growth and Jobs and highlighted the need to create a "fifth freedom" in Europe – 
the freedom of knowledge.  
Researchers are the key agents for the crea tion and transfer of knowledge. Ensuring the 
availability of the necessary researchers is  therefore indispensable for a competitive, 
knowledge-based EU economy. The results of the public consultation  which followed the 
Green Paper, suggested that a single labour market for researchers is the top priority for 
action at EU level.  
The overall aim of the "European res earchers' partnership" is to make rapid and 
measurable progress at national and EU level  towards making Europe a more attractive 
place for entering and pursuing a research career.  
Despite some progress, the experience of implementing the existing European strategies of 
mobility and careers and the Recommendation on the European Charter for Researchers 
and Code of Conduct for their Recruitment  (Charter & Code or C& C) , has revealed that 
the lack of an integrated framework addres sing both career and mobility issues and of 
adequate engagement by the Member States , has led to slow and uneven progress.  
Over the years Community legislation on soci al security coordination has particularly 
facilitated mobility of workers. When it wa s adopted, longer-term mobility was the rule. But 
as highlighted in the recent EU Job Mobility Action Plan3, the current rules adopted several 
decades ago might not cover as efficiently ne wer forms of mobility of workers, such as 
researchers, that frequently work on short-te rm contracts in different Member States.  
There would therefore be consid erable EU added value in a new initiative for researchers 
which could build upon other reform s and actions which are now underway  various policy 
responses and alternative delivery mechanisms have been examined. 
On the present legal basis, Community legisla tive action would only be possible in the areas 
of social security coordination and suppl ementary pension rights. However, a new 
implementing regulation coordinating social se curity schemes and a directive covering the 
portability of supplementary pension rights are currently under negotiation and the European 
Job Mobility Action Plan 2007-2010 aims to impr ove existing legislation and administrative 
practices regarding workers mobility. It would therefore be premature to recommend further 
action in these areas at this time. Instead the proposed partnership will explore the possibility 
of future legislative or other actions such as  Council or Commission recommendations if clear 
evidence of deficiencies em erges during the implementation. The final choice is for a 
                                                 
1 IP management by public research organisations; researchers; pan-European research infrastructures; 
international S&T cooperation; joint programming  
2 Presidency Conclusions European Council 13-14 March 2008 
3 Mobility, an instrument for more and better jobs: The European Job Mobility Action Plan (2007-2010), 
COM(2007)773, 6.12.2007 
 
EN 3   EN Communication setting out a three-year pa rtnership with Member States, contributing 
to the Lisbon objectives and process.  The partnership with the Memb er States is expected to 
make a difference by introducing a dynamic pro cess of concerted acti on and concentrating 
efforts and resources on key areas of mutual interest. Specifically, it is proposed that the 
partnership should make rapid, measurable progress to:  
• systematically open recruitment;  
• meet the social security and supplementary pensions needs of mobile researchers;  
• provide attractive employment and working conditions; and 
• enhance the training, skills a nd experience of researchers. 
Through the partnership, Member States can play their full role in the exact definition and 
implementation of the process, targeting actions and priorities to their needs.  The 
Commission will seek to optimise existing Community instruments , including those 
available through the FP7 People programme, to complement national actions and support the 
partnership. The impact of i ndividual initiatives w ould be greatly increased by ensuring that 
they are planned and implemented in a coherent , consistent and mutua lly reinforcing way, 
based on commonly developed objectives and focussed on key areas. Actions should be 
monitored at both national and EU-level  according to commonly agreed indicators . The 
partnership is expected to br ing significant change for the be nefit of researchers and the 
knowledge-based economy and society. It coul d help overcome structural, institutional, 
national and cultural obstacles to better careers and more mobility for researchers.  
As for the other four ERA policy initiatives, the overall governance will be overseen by the 
Competitiveness Council utilising the Lisbon process and national actions  to implement 
the initiative, reflected in the National Re form Programmes of the Member States.