Council establishes a Scientific Advisory Committee [SAC] which shall give advice to Council, in particular with regard to proposals from the Director General on the realisation of the programme of the Laboratory.

SAC is composed of distinguished scientists appointed in their own right, not as representatives of member states. Membership of the committee is drawn from scientists in a wide range of relevant fields of science in order to cover as far as possible both the field of molecular biology and other appropriate scientific disciplines. After due consultation with, in particular the EMBO Council and appropriate national institutions, the Director General and the EMBO Executive Director propose to the Council a list of candidates which the Council considers in appointing the members of SAC.