About the advisors
Mandate
The Group of Chief Scientific Advisors is a key part of the Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM). Their role is to provide high-quality, timely and independent scientific advice to the College of European Commissioners on any subject, including on policy issues that the European Parliament and the Council consider to be of major importance. By informing decision-making, the Group contributes to the quality of EU policy making and legislation.
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
Members
There are currently 5 Chief Scientific Advisors 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.
Role of the advisors in the Scientific Advice Mechanism
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).
Subscribe to the SAM newsletter
Visit the website of the Scientific Advice Mechanism
Activity report
This report examines the impact of the Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM), which provides independent scientific evidence and policy recommendations to the European institutions at the request of the College of Commissioners.
Scientific advice
On-going
Published
- Solar radiation modification
- One Health Governance in the European Union
- Successful and timely uptake of artificial intelligence in science in the EU
- 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
Latest
A new overview of the 11 most recent Scientific Opinions by the Scientific Advice Mechanism to the European Commission is now available.
Research and innovation news alert: With the Paris climate targets looking increasingly difficult to achieve, technologies are being proposed to reduce warming by reflecting sunlight away from the Earth.