Peers ask Juncker for assurances on CSA duties

The chairmen of two House of Lords committees have written to the president of the European Commission to ask how he is ensuring that the functions previously carried out by the chief scientific adviser are being made available to the Commission.

Timothy Boswell, chairman of the European Union Select Committee, and John Palmer, chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, wrote to Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, in a letter dated 26 November. The letter lists five duties previously performed by the CSA, which the authors say they consider to be crucial, and asks for a response regarding the steps Juncker is taking to ensure that the functions continue to be available. 

The duties are: advising the president of the Commission on any aspect of science and technology; ensuring a coherent scientific message across the Commission; threat and opportunity foresight; promotion of science culture; and chairing the Science and Technology Advisory Council.