1. Role of the EMCDDA Scientific Committee
Wolfgang Götz, Scientific Committee, Palmela, February 2008

2. EMCDDA Regulation Art. 13.2 of the recast Regulation and
“The Scientific Committee shall consist of at most fifteen well-known scientists appointed in view of their scientific excellence and their independence…
and
…the members of the Scientific Committee shall be appointed in a personal capacity and shall give their opinions completely independently of the Member States and the Community Institutions …”

3. Old vs. new Scientific Committee
Members nominated by governments
Candidates responded to an open call
Selection criteria not defined
Defined selection criteria
Appointed members
Application for membership
1 representative per Member State + Norway
15 members + observer
No defined fields of expertise
Defined fields of expertise

4. Selection procedure Process initiated early 2007
Call for expressions of interest published in September 2007
103 applications received from 72 candidates
Pre-selection committee assessed all candidates
Nomination of members and reserve list by the Management Board

5. Mission statement
The Scientific Committee members are guardians and advocates of the scientific integrity of the Centre

6. Formal roles
Opinion of the SC on the three-year work programme and annual work programmes
Risk Assessment of new psychoactive substances
Opinions on any scientific matters concerning the Centre's activity at the request of the Director or the Management Board

7. Other roles Commentators Arbitrators Advisors Scientific experts
Networkers

8. Tasks – examples Annual report package
Learning from the past, looking to the future: identifying Europe’s information needs for effective drug policy - conference
Best practice portal
Monograph on Harm reduction
Risk assessment Guidelines

9. Conclusions Advisory role Individual and collective tasks
Regular meetings – twice per year risk assessments
Rules of procedure, strategy and work programme – to be discussed