1.   ELI ERIC shall operate the high-power laser facilities described in the Technical and Scientific Description (Annex I) (the ‘ELI FACILITIES’) as a single integrated organisation, with a unified governance and single management structure. The ELI ERIC General Assembly (hereinafter referred to as ‘GA’) may recognise and include additional ELI FACILITIES according to item (d) of Article 25(9).

2.   ELI ERIC shall manage access to the ELI FACILITIES for users through an international peer-review system. In order to achieve its objectives, ELI ERIC shall in particular:

3.   ELI ERIC shall operate on a non-economic basis. ELI ERIC may carry out limited economic activities, provided that they are closely related to its principal tasks, and do not jeopardise the achievement of these tasks. Details shall be specified in the FINANCIAL RULES.

1.   ELI ERIC shall be established for an initial period of 20 years and may be prolonged, subject to a decision of the GA in accordance with item (f) of Article 25(9).

2.   The winding-up of ELI ERIC shall require a decision of the GA in accordance with item (k) of Article 25(10) and be notified to the European Commission according to Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No 723/2009. Such a decision shall include at least:

3.   Without undue delay after the closure of the winding-up procedure, and in any event within 10 days after such closure, the ELI ERIC shall notify the Commission thereof.

4.   In case of dissolution, ELI ERIC shall remain bound in respect of all pending obligations and undertakings towards third parties. The decommissioning and/or re-use of each ELI FACILITY shall be taken over by the respective HOST MEMBER.

1.   ELI ERIC shall be liable for its debts.

2.   The financial liability of the MEMBERS for the obligations of ELI ERIC shall be limited to their respective contributions to ELI ERIC in respect of the last full year of operations.

3.   ELI ERIC shall take appropriate insurance to cover the risks specific to its operations.

1.   ELI ERIC shall offer USERS access to the ELI FACILITIES through a transparent selection process based on an international peer-review procedure of proposals managed through an electronic common entry point. The selection criteria shall be based on scientific quality and feasibility of the experiment. Ethical aspects involved in the evaluation of proposals or performance of access should be dealt with the support of the Ethical Advisory Committee referred to in Article 29.

2.   USERS requiring and accessing technical and/or scientific services outside of the peer-review selection-based access shall pay the appropriate price of the services received, in accordance with the limits as referred to in Article 2(3).

3.   The principles of the ACCESS POLICY FOR USERS are outlined in Annex I to these Statutes and shall be defined and detailed in a specific policy. That policy shall take into account the European Data Protection legal framework related to the sharing of personal data of USERS among the MEMBERS.

1.   ELI ERIC shall regularly evaluate and benchmark the quality of its scientific activities by international peer review, including a periodic assessment of its impact on the European Research Area, the regions hosting its activities and at international level.

2.   ELI ERIC shall ensure that research carried out by its USERS meets the highest standards of quality and excellence and shall promote training and exchanges of best practices. Ethical aspects should be assessed by the Ethical Advisory Committee referred to in Article 29. ELI ERIC shall assess the impact and effectiveness of its research policy and programme design, as well as the resources required to support these standards.

1.   ELI ERIC’s tasks and activities aim to strengthen research, technology development, and innovation in Europe and worldwide. ELI ERIC will, in particular, conduct communication and dissemination activities to support that aim, using a variety of platforms to reach all relevant stakeholders and the general public.

2.   ELI ERIC shall promote the dissemination to the research community, industry, and the general public of the scientific activities, results, publications, and the scientific-technical knowledge resulting from its activities. Consistent with Article 6 whereby access is open, and granted on the basis of scientific excellence, ELI ERIC shall also pursue a policy of open access to FAIR data sets and metadata, as referred to in Article 13, as well as to scientific publications derived from publicly-funded research conducted at ELI ERIC.

1.   The term ‘Intellectual Property’ shall be understood in accordance with Article 2 of the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organisation signed on 14 July 1967.

2.   Subject to the term of any contract between ELI ERIC and users, intellectual property rights created, obtained or developed by users shall be owned by those users.

3.   ELI ERIC shall adopt an Intellectual Property Rights Policy and specific processes and procedures in accordance with item (e) of Article 25(10).

1.   ELI ERIC shall ensure equal treatment and opportunities for its personnel and shall support mobility with a view to foster professional training and development of personnel.

2.   The policy of hiring and managing the staff shall be defined by the ELI ERIC Director-General (hereinafter referred to as ‘DG’) and approved by the GA. The employment policy shall apply international-level selection and evaluation procedures, as well as remuneration principles aiming to competitively attract and retain highly qualified staff. The selection procedures for ELI ERIC staff positions shall be transparent, non-discriminatory and respect equal opportunities. Recruitment and employment shall not be discriminatory.

3.   ELI ERIC shall have a single employment policy defined in accordance with the laws of the countries in which staff is employed.