Science in politics: An interview with Dame Anne Glover, former Chief Scientific Advisor to the President of the European Commission.

Abstract

EMBO Reports (2019) e48349 > EMBO reports (ER):You were the first and the last Chief Scientific Advisor to the European Commission. Why was the role later abolished? > Anne Glover (AG):It was the first time the EC had a scientific advisor and I was appointed by then President, Jose Manuel Barroso. A Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) role was unusual, because most member states don't have CSA and some had difficulties initially to come to terms with or understand that role. Among the member states that were most unconvinced initially of the role of CSA were France and Germany, but they both became huge supporters. When President Barroso's term came to an end, I wrote to president‐elect Jean‐Claude Juncker to set out a number of options as to how he might go about getting independent scientific advice. At the end of the day, he decided on a more distributed form of advice. This has been transformed into a group of CSAs, and this more collegiate structure might fit better with the Commission and the EU. In the UK, we are used to having a CSA in government, but this is not the case in many countries in the EU, so maybe it is not the best model. > In order to have confidence in and trust scientific advisors, there needs to be transparency. > ER:What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a single CSA? > AG:The advantage is that you have an individual who is both visible and accountable. People can agree or disagree with the advice, but at least there is someone who is identifiable. In my case, accountability required that President Barroso was content with publishing the advice that I gave; otherwise, I could not be completely transparent about my role. I think that, in order to have confidence …