Analysis and experimentation on ecosystems

The overview of the governance structure of AnaEE is presented below.

The Assembly of Members (AoM) is the main governing body of the AnaEE-ERIC. It comprises two representatives per member, one having a scientific, and one having an administrative expertise. The AoM appoints the DG and takes all decisions related to the AnaEE strategy, governance and scientific development.

The Director General (DG) is the chief executive officer of AnaEE and its legal representative. The DG is appointed by the AoM and has authority on all services of the AnaEE. He has full autonomy within the statutes and the framework decided by the AoM. He will prepare the main decisions and propose the strategy of the ERIC for decision by the AoM. The DG will appoint the heads of the SCs as well as the personnel of the ERIC.

Under the supervision of the DG, the heads of the 3 service centres (TC, ISC, DMC) will be responsible in their domain of the provision of services provided by AnaEE. They participate to the Management Board (MB) that advises the DG for executive affairs.

The functional chart of AnaEE-ERIC.

Several bodies are appointed to support AoM’s and DG’s work. The statutes provide for the Independent Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC), the Independent Ethical Advisory Committee (IEAC ), the Stakeholder Committee (SHC), and the Management Board (MB). In addition, the AoM may appoint any subsidiary body as required by the circumstances.

The ISAC is composed of 5 to 10 scientists chosen for their expertise in the fields covered by AnaEE. It is appointed by the AoM. It provides advise on the criteria for the acceptation of platforms, on the strategy, on the collaboration with other infrastructures and bodies, it analyses the activity reports and provides recommendations on the work programme and long-term strategy, and gives foresight on ecosystem sciences and the links with food security and the bio-economy.

The ISAC has been appointed by the AoM:

• Ioannis Athanasiadis, Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science at Wageningen University and Research, in the Netherlands
• Alessandra de Marco, research at ENEA (Italy) and coordinator of the IUFRO (International Union of Forest Research Organizations)
• Stefan Bertilsson, professor in Functional Ecology of Freshwaters and former Director of SITES in Sweden
• Violeta Bozhanova, Vice-President of the Agricultural Academy in Bulgaria
• Michael Bahn, Professor at University of Innsbruck in Austria
• Claudio Stöckle, professor at Washington State University in United States

The IEAC will be composed of 3 to 10 members appointed by the AoM for their expertise on ethical issues in ecology and life sciences. It will advise the AoM and the DG on ethical issues to be considered by the ERIC or the national platforms in their activities, or issues arising from specific programs proposed for consideration by AnaEE.

The SHC will be composed of representatives of the bodies and institutions that have an interest in the services and results delivered by AnaEE. The members will come for the scientific user community, the industry, administration or governmental bodies, jurists, industry, NGOs, and the media. Its number will be between 10 and 20. It will advise AnaEE on the work programme and strategy, user accommodation, collaboration with other structures, and the communication plan. The members of the SHC are appointed by the AoM.

The Management Board is a committee composed of the DG and the heads of the service centres. It advises the DG on all matters related to the day to day life of the ERIC, as well as in the preparation of the budget, the work programme and all matters of consideration for the DG. In its “Extended” configuration the MB (EMB) comprises the representatives of the national nodes and platform types. The DG can invite experts to attend the MB and EMB if the need arises.