Admission of third-country nationals to carry out scientific research in EU - directive and recommendation adopted: Justice and Home Affairs Council (in the margins), 12 October

Brussels, 12 October 2005

The Council adopted:

- a directive on a specific procedure for admitting third-country nationals for purposes of scientific research (9288/05+COR 1, 10510/05) and

- a recommendation to facilitate the admission of third-country nationals to carry out scientific research in the EU (9290/05+COR 1+COR 3).

The directive lays down the conditions for the admission of third-country researchers to the member states for more than three months for the purposes of carrying out a research project under hosting agreements with research organisations.

The aim of the directive is to foster the admission and mobility for research purposes of thirdcountry nationals in order to make the EU more attractive to researchers from around the world and to boost its position as an international centre for research.

Pending the implementation of the directive by the member states, the recommendation calls on member states to facilitate the admission of such individuals already.

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.

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 (3621/1/05, see press release no 10817/05).