Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 723/2009 concerning the Community legal framework for a European Research Infrastructures Consortium (ERIC)

The ERIC Regulation was adopted by the Council in 2009 to facilitate the establishment and operation of European research infrastructures on a non-economic basis. With the Regulation a new legal instrument was created at EU level for establishing European research infrastructures with a legal personality recognized in all Member States. Many of the projects included in the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) Roadmap are planning to use the ERIC Regulation as the legal instrument to implement and operate the research infrastructure.

The ERIC Regulation provides for a distinction and a difference in treatment between Member States, associated countries, third countries and intergovernmental organisations. An ERIC needs at least three Member States as members and Member States shall jointly hold the majority of the voting rights in the assembly of members. An ERIC however, may be hosted by a Member State or an associated country.

Associated countries, and in particular Norway, have indicated strongly that they intend to contribute as host or member to a significant number of ERICs that are in preparation if they could have voting rights as do EU Member States in an ERIC, especially if they were host to an ERIC and thus providing substantial contributions to its activities.

The objective of the proposed amendment of the ERIC Regulation is to avoid associated countries not being able to become host or member of an ERIC because in the current
situation, their voting rights do not reflect their financial support to ERIC projects.

EUR-Lex: COM(2012)682: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2012:682:FIN

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