The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the Euro Commission’s science and knowledge service. The JRC employs scientists to carry out research in order to provide independent scientific advice and support to EU policy.

The JRC plays a key role at multiple stages of the EU policy cycle. It contributes to the overall objective of Horizon Europe.

JRC’s work closely with research and policy organisations in the Member States, with the European institutions and agencies, and with scientific partners in Europe and internationally, including within the United Nations system.

The core strengths JRC offers are anticipation, integration and impact:

• Anticipation focuses on what is coming at JRC, beyond the latest crisis, and being able to provide the scientific underpinning for future policy initiatives.
• Integration means enhancing JRC’s ability to build links between the different scientific and policy areas inside the Commission and beyond, since the challenges are so complex that one single area of science can rarely provide all the necessary answers.
• Last, but not least, impact is about assisting policymakers to track and assess the impact of their policies.

Originally established under the Euratom Treaty, a proportion of JRC’s work is in the nuclear field.

In addition, the JRC offers scientific expertise and competences from a very wide range of disciplines in support of almost all EU policy areas.

As described in the JRC Revitalising Strategy 2030, it organises our work in 33 portfolios.

Plans and reports:

• Commission work programme – overview of institution-wide deliverables for current year.
• Strategic plan – department strategy, objectives for 2020-2024.
• Management plan – department forecasted outputs, activities, resources for current year.
• Annual activity report – department achievements, resources used during previous year.

JRC Work Programme 2023-2024 –  information about the work, aim and objectives of the JRC.