HUNDRED AND FORTY-NINTH SESSION OF COUNCIL
RESTRICTED, CLOSED AND OPEN SESSIONS
11 and 12 December2008
RESTRICTED SESSION
11 December 2008
REPORT BY THE TASK FORCE ON THE ACCESSION OF ROMANIA
The Council decided, by consensus, to approve the Resolution set out in document CERN/2829 admitting Romania as a Candidate for Accession for a period of five years, subject to, and with effect from, the conclusion by CERN and Romania of the Framework Agreement laid down in Annex 2 of document CERN/CC/2368/Rev.
The Council agreed that, according to the general procedure for Accession to CERN, a further decision would be required in 2013 as to whether to admit Romania to full membership from 2014 onwards.
NON-MEMBER STATE MATTERS
Setting-Up of a Working Group on the scientific and geographical enlargement of CERN
Draft Terms of Reference and Composition
The Council took note of the President's report and of the comments and statements by delegations during the discussion, and unanimously decided: to set up a working group on the scientific and geographical enlargement of CERN.
REPORT BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE
The Council took note of the oral report by the Chairman of the Finance Committee.
The Council fully endorsed the Finance Committee's recommendation regarding the setting-up of a Finance Committee working group with the remit of reviewing the current methodology for the calculation of the cost-variation index. The Council also decided to invite the CERN Management, taking account of current and past practice, to devise various models for the calculation of the scale of contributions together with simulations of the results of applying those models as input for a further discussion at the Finance Committee's March 2009 meeting on how to proceed.
PENSION FUND
Code of Conduct of the Pension Fund
The Council unanimously decided to approve the Code of Conduct of the Pension Fund, set out in the Annex to the document CERN/2824, for application as of 1st January 2009.
Standard Terms of Appointment for the Members of the Pension Fund Governing Board
The Council decided to approve the standard terms of appointment for the members of the Pension Fund Governing Board set out in the Annex to CERN/2825.
Composition and Chairman of the new Investment Committee of the Pension Fund.
The Council unanimously decided to approve two articles relating to the composition and Chairman of the new Investment Committee, set out in the Annex to document CERN/2826, to be introduced into the Rules of the Pension Fund for entry into force as from 1st January 2009, to replace the provisions of the existing Regulations of the Investment Committee of the Pension Fund relating to the latter's composition and Chairman, on the understanding that the proposed provisions would be amended to include the constraints that:
- the maximum total term of office of all members of the Investment Committee would be limited to six years (three plus three), and
- the term of office of the members of the Investment Committee appointed by the Governing Board from among its own members would be limited by the duration of their membership of the Board.
CERN AUDIT COMMITTEE
Report of Activities over the Year 2008
The Council unanimously decided to approve the revised Terms of Reference of the CERN Audit Committee, set out in Annex 1 to the document CERN/2819.
PLANS FOR THE MEDIUM TERM PLAN FOR THE PERIOD 2010-2014
The Council took note of the oral report by the Director-General Designate, Professor Heuer.
REPORT BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SCIENTIFIC POLICY COMMITTEE
The Council took note of the oral report by the Chairman of the Scientific Policy Committee, Professor Fernandez.
Revised Terms of Reference of the SPC
The Council unanimously decided to approve the revised terms of reference of the Scientific Policy Committee set out in document CERN/SPC/313/Rev.6-CERN/2812, for application as of 1st January 2009. It further agreed that the new terms of reference would replace the terms of reference of the Scientific Policy Committee adopted by the Council at its 102nd Session in June 1995, and that the document could be placed forthwith in the public domain.
QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL TO THE SPC
Scientific Reach of the Super-LHC
Assessment by the SPC
The Council took note of the information set out in document CERN/SPC/919-CERN/2814 and endorsed the SPC’s conclusion that there was a valid case for the proposed upgrade of the LHC to the Super-LHC and that, accordingly, the CERN Management should be encouraged to proceed with the preparation and planning for the SLHC project. The Council agreed that the document could be placed forthwith in the public domain.
Specific request from the Council to the SPC – Relations between CERN and the ongoing development work regarding future neutrino facilities.
The Council unanimously decided to approve the specific request set out in the document CERN/SPC/912-CERN/2815 regarding the relations between CERN and the ongoing development work on future neutrino facilities. The Council further invited the SPC also to consider the more general future prospects of neutrino physics.
ACCESS STATUS OF COUNCIL DOCUMENTS AS FROM 01.01.2009
Due to time-limitations, the Council agreed to postpone consideration of document CERN/2818 to the March 2009 Session.
CLOSED SESSION
11 December 2008
ELECTIONS: SCIENTIFIC POLICY COMMITTEE
The Council unanimously re-elected Professor E. Fernandez Chairman of the Scientific Policy Committee for one year as of 1st January 2009.
The Council unanimously decided to appoint Professors M. Diemoz, R. Ellis, C. Spiering and K. Tokushuku members of the Scientific Policy Committee for a period of three years as of 1st January 2009, and to re-appoint Professors R. Aleksan and A. Bondar members of the Scientific Policy Committee for a second period of three years as of 1st January 2009.
ELECTIONS: COUNCIL AND FINANCE COMMITTEE
The Council unanimously re-elected Professor T. Åkesson President of the Council for one year as of 1st January 2009.
The Council unanimously re-elected Professor G. Herten Vice-President of the Council for one year as of 1st January 2009.
The Council unanimously re-elected Dr M. Steinacher Chairman of the Finance Committee for a period of one year as of 1st January 2009.
The Council unanimously re-elected Mr C. van Riel Chairman of TREF for a period of one year as of 1st January 2009.
The Council unanimously re-elected Mr B. Dormy Vice-Chairman of TREF for a period of one year as of 1st January 2009.
ELECTIONS: PENSION FUND
The Council unanimously decided to appoint Mr R. Balfe professional member of the Pension Fund Governing Board for a period of three years as of 1st January 2009.
OPEN SESSION
12 December 2008
STATUS REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL
The Council took note of the Director-General’s review of the five years of his term of office and expressed warm appreciation for all his achievements.
REPORT ON THE DECISIONS TAKEN AT THE RESTRICTED AND CLOSED SESSIONS
The Council took note of the report by the President of Council on the decisions taken at the Restricted and Closed Sessions in September and December 2008 and of the statements by the representatives of the Observer States Japan and the United States of America.
2009 BUDGET SCALE OF CONTRIBUTIONS
The Council unanimously decided to approve the scale of contributions for 2009.
THE COST-VARIATION INDEXES FOR 2009
The Council unanimously decided to apply for 2009:
- a basic salary and stipend index of 2.7% and a subsistence allowances and benefits index of 3.2% (bringing the overall personnel cost-variation index to 2.77%);
- a materials cost-variation index of 4.93%, and
- an overall calculated cost-variation index of 3.68% for 2009, on the understanding that:
- to take account of the difficult financial situation in the Member States, the total contributions would be indexed by 2% for 2009; and that
- cash-flow problems may be solved, as in the past, by taking on commercial short-term loans with the understanding that budgetary equilibrium will be reached in 2011 as planned.
BUDGET OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR THE FIFTY-FIFTH FINANCIAL YEAR 2009
The Council took note of document CERN/FC/5304/Rev., notably that the figures set out therein included the 2% indexation of the regular Member States' contributions.
ADJUSTMENT OF PENSIONS FOR 2009
The Council unanimously decided to adjust pensions, fixed benefits and allowances by 2.6% with effect from 1st January 2009.
CERN FINANCIAL RULES & REGULATIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATON OF THE CERN FINANCIAL RULES
The Council unanimously decided to approve the CERN Financial Rules and the Regulations for the Implementation of the Financial Rules, including the CERN Procurement Rules, set out in the document CERN/FC/5305-CERN/2822, on the understanding that:
- the provisions contained therein would enter into force with effect from the date of their approval; and
- the new provisions would cancel and replace all previous documents and decisions relating to the financial administration of CERN, including procurement.
LHC MATTERS
The Council took note of the oral presentations on the status and cost of repairs to the LHC by the LHC Project Leader, Dr Evans, and the Chief Financial Officer, Mr Lettow, of the status report on the LHC experiments by the Chief Scientific Officer, Professor Engelen, of the reports by the SPC Chairman, Professor Fernandez, and the Finance Committee Chairman, Dr Steinacher, and of the remarks by the Director-General.
THANKS AND FAREWELL
The Council warmly thanked the interpreters, the Council Secretariat, the Legal Services and the Translation and Minutes Service for all the help during the year.
The Council warmly thanked the outgoing Department Heads Dr J.J. Blaising, Dr Ph. Lebrun, Dr S. Myers and Dr Von Rüden.
The Council expressed its warm gratitude to three of the interpreters, Ms A. Duttweiler, Ms U. Barth and Ms R. Lambertz who were celebrating their 40th year of interpreting at CERN.
The Council warmly thanked Prof. J. Niewodniczanski who has been a Council delegate for Poland since December 1992 and was attending his last meeting in that capacty.
The Council also asked the Belgian delegation to convey its warmest thanks to Mr P Levaux who has attended Council since June 1970, been delegate since October 1970, President of Council 1975 to 1977, had many other roles in Council working groups and in the Pension Fund, and on a large number of occasions played a crucial role for different aspects for the development of the Organization. Mr P Levaux was unfortunately unable to attend this session to receive the Council's thanks in person.
The Council warmly thanked the outgoing directors Prof. J. Engelen and Mr. M. Metzger, for their service to the Organization and their excellent leadership.
Finally the Council expressed its warmest thanks to the outgoing Director-General Dr. R. Aymar for his fine stewardship of the Organization over the past five years and for leading it now into a unique position for its future development.