Council adopts measures to attract foreign researchers to EU[en] 

The Council has adopted a 'researcher's package' to attract foreign researchers to the EU. It consists of a directive, which sets out a specific procedure for admitting non-EU nationals for the purposes of scientific research and a recommendation, which facilitates the admission of non-EU nationals to carry out scientific research in the EU. A recommendation to make it easier to issue uniform short-stay visas for researchers was adopted in September 2005. 

The aim of these measures is to foster the admission and mobility of non-EU researchers in Europe and to enhance Europe's attractiveness for researchers from around the world. 

The adopted measures are a step towards building the European Research Area (ERA) and the smooth functioning of an internal market for researchers. Member states have to transpose the directive by October 2007 whereas the two recommendations take immediate effect.