Following an intense week of discussions and of updates from across the CERN scientific programme and other activities, the June Council Session has now concluded.
Among the highlights was the approval of the Medium-Term Plan (MTP) for 2026–2030, which outlines CERN’s scientific and financial strategy for the coming years. The highest priority of the MTP has been to secure the necessary resources for the successful, safe and timely completion of the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) upgrade, the Phase 2 upgrades of ATLAS and CMS and the Long Shutdown 3 (LS3) work. Additional resources have also been allocated to consolidate the North Area, upgrade ISOLDE and extend MEDICIS operation, thereby continuing to provide a broader community with a compelling scientific programme, complementary to the LHC, and to strengthen safety and environmental protection.
The Council approved the 2024 CERN Annual Progress Report, showcasing the Laboratory’s impressive achievements in its 70th anniversary year, and congratulated CERN and its worldwide community for their excellent work. The Council heard reports on the periodical actuarial review of the Pension Fund and on CERN’s artificial intelligence strategy. It also approved an International Cooperation Agreement with Guatemala, which will enter into force following the necessary signatures, and appointed the senior leadership team for 2026–2030, as proposed by the Director-General designate, Professor Mark Thomson.
We now turn to the Open Symposium on the European Strategy for Particle Physics, taking place from 23 to 27 June in Venice, which will enable the community to debate the future of our field, and I encourage those not attending to watch the online presentations.
I take this opportunity to invite you all to a meeting in the Science Gateway on Wednesday, 2 July from 10.30 a.m. to 12 noon, where more information will be provided about the June Council Session. Please register on this Indico page by Friday 27 June at 12 noon if you plan to attend the meeting. Those who do not attend in person will have the possibility to submit questions during the meeting via a link that will be added to the Indico agenda just before the event.