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2. Exchanges of scientific and technical staff 

 2.1 Present situation 



The mobility of research workers has for several years been a matter of 

 concern to those responsible for national scientific and technological 

 policies, at least in Europe. Many studies have been conducted 

 (Council of Europe, EEC, European Science Foundation) and the 

 conclusions are relatively unanimous: such mobility can become a 

 reality only if the responsible authorities create conditions suitable 

 for the free exchange of scientific staff. 



There are three such conditions: 



- to simplify the administrative admission formalities in the host 

 country (as regards both the research worker and his family) (visas); 



- to facilitate integration of the research worker and his family in 

 the host country (accommodation, motor car, work permit for the 

 spouse, children's education); 



- to guarantee social coverage equivalent to that in the country of 

 origin (social security, pension rights, return to the country of 

 origin). 



2.1.1) Administrative formalities 



These formalities are relatively simple in most cases. 



Tanporary visas can generally be granted and even extended 

 (sometimes, however, with a certain amount of difficulty in this 

 regard in the USA), without major problems in particular if the 

 research workers are covered by a diplomatic agreement or an alliance 

 treaty, if responsibility for them is accepted by international 

 companies or organizations (the case in the USA), or if they can show 

 that they are engaged in highly intellectual activities in the arts 

 or sciences (the case in Japan). The families of the research 

 workers generally enjoy the same facilities. It should, however, be 

 noted that, in certain cases, the research workers and their families 

 lose their citizenship rights both in the host country and in the 

 country of origin. 



2.1.2) Integration in the host country 



The problems of integration in the host country depend to a large 

 extent on the host laboratory and on its administrative services. In 

 certain cases, the formalities are simplified by bilateral 

 agreements that exist between laboratories (the case in Canada and 

 Italy). In most cases, however, the research workers and their 

 families are subject to the normal rules of the host country. 



