Legal profile

Legal status

The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre], is a Foundation of Public Utility (FPU) with a legal status according to private law, set up according to the law on "non profit associations" on April 9, 1952, and changed in an Establishment of Public Utility (EPU) on May 29, 1957, approved by Royal Decree of July 23, 1957. By Royal Decree of October 16, 1991 the non nuclear activities were transferred to VITO (the Flemish Institute for Technological Research).

The legal status of SCK•CEN, with some modifications, was confirmed in a Royal Decree of October 16, 1991 (Belgian Official Gazette November 22, 1991). As a result of the law of May 2, 2002 (Belgian Official Gazette December 11, 2002), the legal designation has been modified in “Foundation of Public Utility” (FPU) and on the basis of this law, the new Statutes have been approved by the Board. These new Statutes were approved by the King and published in the annexes of the Belgian Official Gazette from March 27, 2006.

SCK•CEN carries the enterprise number 406.568.867 (Crossroads Bank of Enterprises (CBE). You can consult the Statutes via http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/tsv/tsvn.htm (enterprisenumber/research/list).

Owners, shareholders and operating means

According to its articles of foundation, SCK•CEN is the owner of its assets, built up by its activities or acquired by funding from the public authorities, there are no shareholders. The operational means comprise an annual grant for operations and investments provided on the federal budget and income resulting from contract research and services.

Board of Governors, Scientific Advisory Committee

SCK•CEN is governed by an independent Board of Governors, appointed on the proposal of the Minister of Energy after advice of the federal government. The Minister of Energy has a right of veto on any decisions of the Board of Governors.

Since 1987, a scientific advisory structure, including an International Scientific Advisory Committee, was set up to advice the Board on the long-term scientific strategy of SCK•CEN.

Statutory objectives

SCK•CEN has the assignment to maintain a centre of excellence on nuclear energy and ionizing radiations. Therefore the Centre will:

• Give priority to research related to safety, radioactive waste management, protection of man and environment, management of fissile and other strategic materials and social implications as part of the pursuit of sustainable development.
• Develop, gather and spread the necessary knowledge through training and communication.
• Perform all services that are asked for in the domain in question, especially by the nuclear industry, the medical sector and the government.
• Make the necessary pluridisciplinary scientific contacts concerning the energy problem.

Within the framework of its objectives, the Centre will, among other things, carry out the following activities:

• Gather, keep up to date and spread the scientific, technical, technological and socially relevant documentation, acting as a centre of knowledge.
• Organise the internal and external training on the various nuclear sciences, techniques and technologies, as well as promote the knowledge of them among the population.
• Exploit its technical and personnel potential to the best of its ability, without interrupting the normal completion of the activities defined in article 3, 1° and this in co-ordination with the other existing nuclear institutions and industries.
• Carry out activities of supervision, control and maintenance, as well as give technical, scientific and strategic advice.

In order to achieve its aim, the Centre can take all interests in associations, syndicates and partnerships and perform all financial, movable and immovable actions, call for tenders and perform all actions that are directly or indirectly connected to this aim or allow promoting its realisation.

Personnel structure

Personnel is hired with a contract of employment, for a well-defined function. Employment is protected by a collective agreement excluding dismissal for economic reasons. A number of researchers are hired with a fixed term contract. This is mainly the case for PhD's and assignments during the execution of specific services or contracts. As from 1992 the status of Aspirant Scientific Collaborator -ASC- has been created to allow selected candidates to obtain a PhD or a postgraduate degree during a four-year employment at SCK•CEN.

Presently, the global SCK•CEN work force amounts to about 600 employees, among which about 150 researchers.

Accountancy structure

SCK•CEN, as a foundation of public utility, is subject to the Law of July 17, 1975 on the accounting and annual accounts of the companies.

According to the analytical accounting, the costs and revenues are followed up horizontally (per programme, per project, …) and also vertically (per division, per department, …) in order to meet the requirements of internal reporting on the one hand and of public authorities on the other hand.

SCK•CEN is subject to specific control by the commissioner-auditor, by the government commissioner(s), by the Accounting Inspection of the Federal Public Office for Economy, Small- and Medium-sized Companies, Self-employed and Energy and by the Belgian State Audit Office.

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Contacts

Chairman of the Board of Governors: Frank Deconinck
General Manager: van Walle Eric
Business Support Unit Manager: Ceuterick Dirk
Legal & Contracts Officer: Veuchelen Ludo

Co-ordinates

SCK•CEN
Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie
Centre d'Etude de l'Energie Nucléaire
[The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre]

Administrative provisions

Banking information

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