On 11th March 2005 European Commission adopted the recommendation on the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. The Member States are invited to implement it on a voluntary basis.. These two documents contribute to the creation of an attractive, open and sustainable European labour market for researchers.

Well-developed human resources in R&D are the cornerstone of advancement in scientific knowledge and technological progress enhancing European and the Hungarian competitiveness.

In March 2000 the European Council in Lisbon set the objective of becoming the most dynamically developing and competitive knowledge- based economy in the world by 2010. According to the decision of Heads of States and Governments at the Barcelona Summit two years later, Europe has to spend 3 percent of its GDP on R&D by 2010 in order to achieve the Lisbon objective.

In order to achieve the Lisbon and Barcelona objectives set by the European Council, Europe must increase its investments not only in R&D but also in human resources.

However, in certain key disciplines, the identified shortage of researchers influence not only the EU’s but even the Hungary’s innovative strength, knowledge capacity and competitiveness. The researchers’ career path must be made more attractive for young people choose to choose research profession. But for this, it is inevitably necessary

• to improve the career prospects for researchers, to ensure their continuous professional development,
• to encourage international and intersectoral mobility and to recognise it in the advancement of a researchers’ career,
• to strengthen the participation of women in R&D by creation of the chance of reconciliation between work and family for them,
• to develop an uniform evaluation system taking into consideration the whole research activity and research results of the researcher, such as publications, number of patents, national and international collaborations, teaching and mobility,
• to work out an open, transparent and efficient recruitment process.

The Recommendation contributes to the creation of a more attractive and open labour market for researchers. Institutions and enterprises adopting the Recommendation voluntarily undertake that

• they will draw up a career development strategy for researchers at all stages of their career
• to entirely build the international and/ or intersectoral mobility experience into the career development strategy, and acknowledge within the evaluation system for researchers and during the recruitment procedure,
• to ensure for the researchers – including early stage researchers– that they are acknowledged as co-authors, moreover, that they can publish their own research results independently from their supervisors,
• to ensure that rules relating to the recruitment of researchers are clearly defined and support the recruitment of those returning to the research career,
• they will develop a transparent and correct recruitment system.

Institutions and enterprises intending to join put their proper signature on the Recommendation.

The Recommendation on the European Charter for Researchers and the declaration can be downloaded:

• Commission Recommendation of 11 March 2005 - on the European Charter for Researchers and on a Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers PDF (79 KB)
• Declaration on the adoption of the European Charter for Researchers and on the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers DOC (27 KB)