Former UK chief scientific adviser David King is among the trio selected to choose European Commission’s High Level Group of scientific advisers.

Carlos Moedas, the European Union’s research commissioner, announced today that David King, now the UK foreign secretary’s special representative for climate change, will be assisting the Commission in choosing advisers for the Scientific Advice Mechanism.

King will join Rianne Letschert, chairwoman of the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences’ Young Academy, and António Vitorino, former European Commissioner for Justice and Internal Affairs, to form an identification committee that will define the criteria for identifying members of the High Level Group, in addition to making their own recommendations.

The High Level Group will comprise seven scientific advisers who will offer the Commission independent scientific advice to support policy decisions. A press release said the group would draw on the “wide range of scientific expertise in Europe through a close relationship with national academies, universities, research organisations and specialised EU bodies”.

The EU’s Scientific Advice Mechanism was created in response to criticism at the decision of EU president not to renew the post of chief scientific adviser to the Commission president following the departure of the first holder of the post Anne Glover in November 2014.