HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SECOND SESSION OF COUNCIL
15 March 2012
RESTRICTED SESSION
LHC PROGRESS REPORT
The Council took note of the reports on the outcome of the Chamonix workshop and on the status of the LHC machine by the Director for Accelerators and Technology, Dr Myers, of the update on the LHC experiments and computing by the Director for Research and Computing, Professor Bertolucci, and of reports by the Chairman of the Scientific Policy Committee, Professor Zwirner, and the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Dr Jacobsen.
The Council, noting the clear objectives set by the Management for the LHC in the coming years, namely discovering or excluding the Higgs boson by the end of 2012, the long shutdown in 2013-2014 and the restart with an upgraded machine and detectors at the end of 2014, expressed appreciation to the Management and all those involved in the running of the LHC machine, experiments and computing for the excellent progress on all fronts.
ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT FOR 2011
The Council took note of the 2011 Annual Progress Report set out in document CERN/SPC/985-CERN/FC/5606-CERN/3005, and congratulated the Organization on the impressive results in 2011 and the greater than anticipated reduction of the cumulative budget deficit in a difficult financial and economic climate and noted that the Management would present a detailed forward look relating to general infrastructure consolidation at the June Session.
CERN PENSION FUND
- Proposal by the Management concerning adjustment of the total contribution rate for new members of the CERN Pension Fund within the framework of the package of measures adopted in 2010 and 2011
The Council unanimously decided to approve the Management's proposal to amend Article II 1.07 of the Rules of the Pension Fund set out in Annex 1 of the document, with effect from 1 April 2012, thereby adjusting the total contribution rate for new members of the CERN Pension Fund to 31.6% and completing the package of measures towards restoring full funding of the CERN Pension Fund, as adopted by the Council in December 2010 and June 2011.
CLOSED SESSION
REPORT ON APPLICANT STATES
- Update on the three remaining applications for Membership and on expressions of interest by other non-Member States
The Council took note of the Director-General’s status report concerning progress towards accession to Associate Membership as the pre-stage to Membership of Cyprus, Slovenia and Turkey and on his recent contacts with Brazil, Canada, China, India and Russia.
- Application for Associate Membership at CERN by the Government of Ukraine and appointment of a fact-finding Task Force
The Council took note of the application letter from the government of Ukraine, of the appended information file on Ukraine's activities in high-energy physics and of the oral report by the Director-General.
On the basis of the information provided by the Ukraine authorities, the Council agreed to appoint a fact-finding Task Force comprising the Head of International Relations, Professor F. Pauss (convenor), the Director for Research and Computing, Professor S. Bertolucci, CERN’s Ukraine contact person, Dr T. Kurtyka, and the Austrian delegate Dr J. Spitzer.
PROCEDURE FOR SELECTING AND APPOINTING THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF CERN
Following a discussion as to whether special circumstances in the life of the Organization existed that would justify the Council’s very exceptional consideration of the extension of the term of office of Professor R. Heuer, the Council agreed on the existence of such special circumstances and decided to extend Professor R. Heuer's term of office as Director-General by two years, i.e. up to 31 December 2015.
ELECTIONS
- Election of the Vice-Chairman of TREF
The Council unanimously decided to appoint Mrs C. Jamieson, Vice-Chairman of TREF for a period of three years, with retroactive effect from 1 January 2012.
PENSION FUND
- Re-appointment of the Chief Executive Officer of the CERN Pension Fund
The Council unanimously decided to reappoint Mr T. Economou Chief Executive Officer of the CERN Pension Fund for a term of office of three years from 1 September 2012.