Context at a glance

Regulatory Context

On 11 March 2005, the European Commission adopted a Recommendation concerning the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, with the aim of providing Member States with a reference framework to promote sustainable research careers and attractive working conditions.

In December 2023, the Council of the European Union adopted a new European Charter for Researchers (Annex II to Council Recommendation C/2023/1640), which replaces the 2005 Charter and Code. The new Charter defines an updated set of principles and responsibilities addressed to researchers, employers, funders, and policymakers, with the goal of supporting excellence in research and the attractiveness of research careers within the European Research Area. It is structured around 20 key principles organised into four strategic areas:

  • Ethics, integrity, gender equality, and open science;
  • Evaluation, recruitment, and progression of researchers;
  • Working conditions and practices;
  • Research careers and talent development.

In line with the policy objectives of the new Charter, Member States and institutions are encouraged to develop and implement appropriate strategies to make the European labour market for researchers more open, attractive, sustainable, and competitive, promoting talent circulation, quality working conditions, and research integrity.

Regulatory Compliance

The European Charter for Researchers is based on the principle that researchers and the organisations that employ and/or fund them have an absolute obligation to ensure compliance with the requirements of their national or regional legislation. Where researchers benefit, in one or more respects, from a status and rights more favourable than those set out in the European Charter for Researchers, the provisions of the Charter must not be invoked to reduce or negatively alter the status and rights already acquired.

Researchers, employers, and funders adhering to the European Charter for Researchers are required to respect the fundamental rights and principles recognised by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.