Scientific research: admission of third-country national researchers to the Community, application measures

PURPOSE : to contribute to the achievement of the Lisbon objectives by making it easier for researchers easier to enter and move within the Community, in order to increase the attractiveness of the Community for researchers throughout the world. 

LEFISLATIVE ACT : Council Recommendation 2005/762/EC to facilitate the admission of third-country nationals to carry out scientific research in the European Community.

CONTENT : This Recommendation is part of a series of measures to facilitate the admission of researchers. The measures include this Recommendation, and a Directive on a specific procedure for admitting third-country nationals for purposes of scientific research. 

The Recommendation covers four areas in which the Member States are asked to adopt measures to facilitate the admission of third-country nationals: admission for the purposes of research, issue of residence permits, family reunification and operational cooperation.

Pending implementation of the Directive by the Member States, the recommendation calls on

Member States to facilitate the admission of such individuals already.

The Directive and the Recommendation are completed by a third text: a Recommendation to facilitate the issue by Member States of uniform short-stay visas for researchers from third countries, which was adopted by the Council on 18 July 2005. (Please see COD20040063.)

Member States are recommended,  in the area of admission for the purpose of carrying out research:

-to encourage the admission of researchers by providing them with favourable conditions for carrying out research, preferably by exempting them from work permit requirements, or alternatively by providing for work permits to be issued automatically or under fast-track procedures;

-to refrain from using quotas to restrict the admission of third-country nationals for research posts;

-to guarantee third-country nationals the possibility of working as a researcher;

In the area of residence permits:

-to issue residence permits in response to applications as soon as possible, and facilitate fast-track procedures;

-to guarantee third-country nationals working as researchers that their residence permits will be renewed;

-gradually to involve the research organisations in the admission procedure for researchers;

In the area of family reunification, Member States should facilitate and support the reunification of family members, by providing them with favourable and attractive conditions and procedures;

In the area of operational cooperation, Member States are:

-to facilitate access of researchers to the relevant information and promote its availability on all the relevant information sources;

-to promote contact persons networks within the competent administrations;

-to encourage research organisations to develop such networks;

-to inform the Commission of the measures they have adopted.