In Brussels and Luxemboug the management of infrastructure is provided by dedicated entities (OIB and OIL, respectively "Office Infrastructure Bruxelles" and "Office Infrastructure Luxembourg").
Ispra as the third largest Commision site is fully owned by the European Commission, and has many buildings hosting laboratories and offices. Most electricity is generated on site in the cogeneration plant, which also provides efficient heating and cooling. There is a medical service, fire brigade and a large canteen. There are residential buildings for newcomers and social wellbeing facilities (crèche, garderie, clubhouse…) just off-site. There is ample room for further expansion.
Our proposed scenario is the progressive evolution of the Ispra site towards the hosting of a range of policy DG entities (e.g., antennae, teams, units, etc.) that have a strong need for evidence and scientific data for their policy development.
Ispra as the third largest Commision site is fully owned by the European Commission, and has many buildings hosting laboratories and offices. Most electricity is generated on site in the cogeneration plant, which also provides efficient heating and cooling. There is a medical service, fire brigade and a large canteen. There are residential buildings for newcomers and social wellbeing facilities (crèche, garderie, clubhouse…) just off-site. There is ample room for further expansion.
Our proposed scenario is the progressive evolution of the Ispra site towards the hosting of a range of policy DG entities (e.g., antennae, teams, units, etc.) that have a strong need for evidence and scientific data for their policy development.
The site could be rebranded as a Research for Policy Hub, becoming a fully integrated European Commission workplace.
An enabling factor for the success of our proposal could consist in the creation of a dedicated entity for the management of the conventional (non-nuclear related) infrastructure which is currently managed by the JRC itself.
In other words, a single office that could manage the infrastructure of all JRC sites (the acronym for such an entity could be OIR, i.e., Office Infrastructure Research) might be considered.
A new Office would offer a standardised service to all entities present on the Ispra site, including the new DG proximity teams.
An enabling factor for the success of our proposal could consist in the creation of a dedicated entity for the management of the conventional (non-nuclear related) infrastructure which is currently managed by the JRC itself.
In other words, a single office that could manage the infrastructure of all JRC sites (the acronym for such an entity could be OIR, i.e., Office Infrastructure Research) might be considered.
A new Office would offer a standardised service to all entities present on the Ispra site, including the new DG proximity teams.
This new infrastructure management of the Ispra site would be aligned with the way it is managed in Luxembourg and Brussels. Indeed, recently DG COMM has transferred out the management of its infrastructure (to OIB) as it was a drawing resources away from its core mission - similarly, the JRC would become fitter and stronger, purely focusing on its role to provide scientific, evidence-based support to EU policies.
This could also offer, at no additional cost, more stable employment conditions to Contractual Agents working on infrastructure, whose current contracts with the JRC are limited to 6 years, whereas they could be indeterminate contracts if they were to be formalised within an Office.
