About the advisors
Mandate
- independent scientific advice to the European Commission to inform policy making
- recommendations to improve the interaction between policy-making and scientific advice
Members
There are 7 Chief Scientific Advisors (currently one vacancy), appointed in their personal capacity and who act independently and in the public interest.
The advisors’ declared interests can be consulted on the Register of Commission expert groups.
An independent identification committee assists the Commission in selecting the advisors.
How the Scientific Advice Mechanism works
The advisors work closely with the Scientific Advice for Policy by European Academies (SAPEA) consortium, which gathers expertise in engineering, humanities, medicine, natural and social sciences from over 100 academies and societies across Europe.
Together with a secretariat in the Commission’s research and innovation department, the advisors and SAPEA are collectively known as the Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM).
How the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors works
Subscribe to the newsletter of the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors.
Scientific advice
Published
- Towards sustainable food consumption
- Strategic crisis management in the EU
- Cancer screening
- A systemic approach to the energy transition in Europe
- Biodegradability of plastics in the open environment
- COVID-19, future pandemics and other crises in the global context
- Adaptation to health effects of climate change in Europe
- Towards a sustainable food system
- Transforming the future of ageing
- Scientific advice to European Policy in a complex world
- Environmental and health risks of microplastic pollution
- Authorisation processes of plant protection products
- Novel carbon capture and utilisation technologies
- Food from the oceans
- New techniques in agricultural biotechnology
- Cybersecurity
- Light duty vehicle real-drive CO2 emissions
- Glyphosate
Plenary meetings
The group meets in plenary several times a year.
Meeting reports, minutes and related documents
Contact
Background documents
Informing European Commission policy making with scientific evidence
This report provides an overview of the work of the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors from their first plenary meeting in January 2016 to their 20th plenary meeting in December 2019
Commission decision on the setting up of the High Level Group of Scientific Advisors
Guidelines – how SAM produces scientific advice
Rules of Procedure – Group of Chief Scientific Advisors – September 2020
Latest
Make sustainable and healthy food the easy choice, says the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors
Research and innovation news alert: An evidence review report and policy recommendations by the EU Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) on Sustainable Food Consumption have just been launched.
Circular Economy Package II - ambitious packaging regulation reducing plastic waste
The Circular Economy Package II proposed the revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive - based on scientific evidence
Strategic crisis management in the EU – science and ethical advice for policy making presented at the EU Parliament
Web streamed debate during the hybrid STOA panel meeting on 15 December, chaired by MEP Christian Ehler.
