Press Release: What is a researcher? European Commission defines roles and responsibilities

The European Commission adopted on 11 March 2005 a European Charter for Researchers and a Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. These two documents are key elements in the EU's policy to make research an attractive career, which is a vital feature of its strategy to stimulate economic and employment growth. The Charter and Code of Conduct will give individual researchers the same rights and obligations wherever they may work throughout the EU. This should help counter the fact that research careers in Europe are fragmented at local, regional, national or sectoral level, and allow Europe to make the most of its scientific potential.