Call for Expressions of Interest 2008 for experts to be appointed members of the Scientific Committee of the European Environment Agency (EEA)

The European Environment Agency

The main objective of the European Environment Agency (EEA) is to support sustainable development and to help achieve significant and measurable improvement in Europe's environment through the provision of timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policy-making agents and the public.

The EEA both gathers and disseminates data and information through the European Environment Information and Observation Network (Eionet). Eionet is a collaborative network of the EEA and its 32 member countries, connecting National Focal Points (NFPs) in the EU and collaborating countries, European Topic Centres (ETCs), National Reference Centres (NRCs) and Commission’s experts.

The work of the EEA includes collecting and analysing shared environmental data from the European Commission services, EEA member countries, international organisations, conventions and agreements, producing policy relevant advice and making this information widely available.

The EEA organises this call (EEA/SC/2008/001-014) to appoint nine Scientific Committee members with expertise in areas defined under scope of the call.

The role of the EEA Scientific Committee

The Scientific Committee (SC) assists the EEA Management Board and the Executive Director in providing scientific advice/recommendations and delivering professional opinion on any scientific matter in the areas of work undertaken by the EEA.

The EEA Scientific Committee was set up on the basis of Article 10 of Council Regulation (EEC) No.1210/90 on the establishment of the European Environment Agency and the European Environment Information and Observation Network (Eionet). The major tasks of the SC cover delivering opinions on the Agency’s annual and multi-annual work programmes, on the recruitment of scientific staff, and on any scientific matter concerning the activities of the EEA.

Scope of the call

The below are recognised as areas of importance to be covered by the EEA Scientific Committee:

1. Atmospheric processes, air pollution, climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies
2. Biodiversity
3. Business and environmental entrepreneurship
4. Ecological economics
5. Energy (incl. mitigation & adaptation strategies)
6. Environmental history
7. European and international environmental law
8. Freshwater (incl. groundwater)
9. Integrated environmental assessment and indicators
10. Spatial planning and management of natural resources
11. Agriculture
12. Terrestrial ecosystems, incl. soils, forests, grasslands
13. Modern technologies (incl. nanotechnologies, GMO etc.)
14. Transport and environment

Composition of the EEA Scientific Committee

The EEA Scientific Committee is composed of independent scientists from the 32 EEA member countries, covering all environmental fields relevant for the Agency’s areas of activity. The SC members are identified through an open selection process.

The Chairperson and two Vice-Chairpersons of the Scientific Committee are elected from amongst its members.

The number of members in the Scientific Committee shall not exceed 20 experts.

It is welcomed that the experts on the committee have thorough knowledge in one or more environmental fields of competences in addition to their primary area of expertise, thus collectively covering the widest possible range of disciplines.

Attending meetings

The members of Scientific Committee are expected to attend its meetings on a regular basis – at least three times per year. Meetings of the Scientific Committee shall normally be held at the EEA premises in Copenhagen.

The members of the Scientific Committee do not receive remuneration but are entitled to an indemnity for each full day meeting. Members will also receive travel and subsistence allowance in accordance with the Agency’s policy for the reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses.

The Chairman and rapporteurs are entitled to an indemnity to defray costs related to the coordination of draft opinions.

Eligibility

Candidates must have:

• a university degree in a relevant scientific area, preferably at postgraduate level,
• at least 10 years’ professional experience at a level to which the qualifications give admission,
• be a national of one of the member countries of the EEA (Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey).

Selection criteria

Eligible expressions of interest will be subject to a comparative evaluation against the following criteria:

• experience in carrying out scientific assessments and/or providing scientific advice in the required areas of competence and expertise,
• experience in peer reviewing scientific work and publications, preferably related to the fields of interest of the EEA,
• ability to analyse complex information and dossiers and to prepare draft scientific opinions and reports,
• ability in quality assurance process,
• proven scientific excellence in the area(s) covered by the applicant,
• professional experience in a multidisciplinary environment, preferably in an international context,
• good knowledge of English would be an asset since this is the working language of the committee. An ability to use modern, electronic means of document exchange and communications would be an advantage, given the Agency’s intention to make best use of these techniques.

The Executive Director can call on a panel to assess the professional experience of candidates.

Appointment, term and reserve list

The experts who meet best the above criteria will be appointed for a term of four years which is renewable once for a maximum of another four-year period.

Experts meeting the requirements for membership who are not appointed will be retained on a reserve list. The reserve list may be used for similar activities and will be valid [e.g.] until 31 December 2010 (extension is possible) for a period of 2 years. The validity of the reserve list can be extended.

Independence and declarations of interest

Selected experts will be appointed on a personal basis. They are required to sign a declaration of commitment and, on an annual basis, make a declaration of interests which may be deemed prejudicial to their independence.

Equal opportunity

The EEA is an equal opportunities employer and committed to avoid any form of discrimination.

Application procedure

Interested candidates are requested to submit their expression of interest by filling in the on-line application form and the template CV to be found under each of the links indicated below.

The CV shall contain a list of the applicant’s scientific publications, preferably in English, and other professional experience.

Apart from their primary area of expertise, candidates shall also indicate their secondary and tertiary areas of expertise which may be taken into account in order to ensure better support in cross-cutting and thematic areas of the EEA’s work.

Applicable rules of procedure of the Scientific Committee of the EEA can also be found under the following link:

http://www.eea.europa.eu/organisation/scientific-committee/sc-rules-procedure.pdf

(English document)

When applying via the on-line application form, please ensure that you observe the following:

1.      Remember to take time zones into consideration when submitting your application.

2.      Once your application has been submitted, you will receive an automatic reply.

3.      It is your responsibility to keep the automatic reply message as proof of submission of your application.

4.      Should you not receive an automatic reply message, please submit your application again.

The EEA encourages the submission of expressions of interest by on-line application form. 

Expressions of interest by post will also be accepted, provided that the candidates clearly mark on the envelope the area of expertise, for which they wish to be considered.

On-line application forms (English) and template CV (English) for the different areas can be found under the following links:

Area 1. Atmospheric processes, air pollution, climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies
http://www.eea.europa.eu/organisation/scientific-committee/calls/area1

Area 2. Biodiversity
http://www.eea.europa.eu/organisation/scientific-committee/calls/area2

Area 3. Business & environmental entrepreneurship
http://www.eea.europa.eu/organisation/scientific-committee/calls/area3

Area 4. Ecological economics
http://www.eea.europa.eu/organisation/scientific-committee/calls/area4

Area 5. Energy (incl. mitigation & adaptation strategies)
http://www.eea.europa.eu/organisation/scientific-committee/calls/area5

Area 6. Environmental history
http://www.eea.europa.eu/organisation/scientific-committee/calls/area6

Area 7. European & international environmental law
http://www.eea.europa.eu/organisation/scientific-committee/calls/area7

Area 8. Freshwater (incl. groundwater)
http://www.eea.europa.eu/organisation/scientific-committee/calls/area8

Area 9. Integrated environmental assessment and indicators
http://www.eea.europa.eu/organisation/scientific-committee/calls/area9

Area 10. Spatial planning and management of natural resources
http://www.eea.europa.eu/organisation/scientific-committee/calls/area10

Area 11. Agriculture
http://www.eea.europa.eu/organisation/scientific-committee/calls/area11

Area 12. Terrestrial ecosystems, incl. soils, forests, grasslands
http://www.eea.europa.eu/organisation/scientific-committee/calls/area12

Area 13. Modern technologies (incl. nanotechnologies, GMO etc.)
http://www.eea.europa.eu/organisation/scientific-committee/calls/area13

Area 14. Transport and environment
http://www.eea.europa.eu/organisation/scientific-committee/calls/area14

Applications sent by post shall be addressed to:

Personnel management group

Scientific Committee Call 2008 – area (please indicate number 1-14 accordingly)

European Environment Agency

Kongens Nytorv 6

1050 Copenhagen K

Denmark

The candidates are kindly requested to direct any questions on the current call to the following e-mail address:sc.call08-questions@eea.europa.eu

Supporting documents may be requested at a later stage.

All expressions of interest will be treated as confidential.

Please note that the EEA will not return expressions of interest to candidates. The personal information which the EEA requests candidates to submit will be processed in line with Regulation (EC) No. 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movements of such data. The purpose of processing the personal data which candidates submit is to manage expressions of interest with a view to possible pre-selection, selection and the appointment of Members of the Scientific Committee of the EEA.

Closing date

Expressions of interest shall be sent via the specific on-line application form (12.00 Central European Time) or by post (date of postmark serves as proof) to the above-indicated address not later than 30 June 2008.