The Committee of Experts was established under Article 10 of the Council Regulation (EEC) No 1365/75 of 26 May 1975. Under this Article a collegial body, consisting of twelve members, was established whose function was to advise the Governing Board on all aspects of the Foundation’s work. The Committee was established to maintain a proper balance between working and living conditions and to provide the best possible scientific and technical advice to the Board. The Committee first met in Brussels on 22 October 1976 when Thorkild Herborg Nielsen was nominated as its first Chairperson. Members of the Committee were appointed by the Council of Ministers. The Committee met twice a year, generally in Loughlinstown House, where all aspects of the Foundation’s work programme were discussed and individual reports on seminars and colloquia attended by its members were presented. Under the Committee’s rules of procedure (CE/1/3) the maximum membership was restricted to twelve. As the European Union enlarged the composition of the Committee was adapted to incorporate the new Member States. The final meeting of the Committee was held in October 2002. In Council Regulation (EC) No 1111/2005 of 24 June 2005 amending regulation 1365/75, the Committee of Experts is not included in the governing and management structure of the Foundation (Article 5). A revised Article 10 however, states that ‘on the basis of a proposal by the Director, the Governing Board may select independent experts and seek their opinions on specific issues in relation to the four-year rolling programme and the annual work programme’.

Records used by members of the Committee in their meetings. The records are arranged and presented in the order in which they were used by the Committee. Documents typically include: draft agenda and the minutes of the previous meeting; reports on seminars and colloquia attended by individual Committee members; draft programmes of work; progress reports from the Director of the Foundation; and draft four-year Rolling programmes. Also found throughout the collection are documents relating to the functions and roles of the Committee.

English, French

By arrangement through the HAEU.