A governance scheme (for decision making, at a minimum) and a set of officers (not necessarily salaried staff) with well-defined responsibilities. Already in 2001, the European Council of Ministers acknowledged the need for and benefits of shared large research infrastructures. The European Commission, in close collaboration with the EU Member States, was invited to explore what shared research infrastructures were needed and what policies were required for closer collaboration in order to provide access to these infrastructures. It was concluded that a collective approach was needed to guide the complex policy making for the sharing of research infrastructures in the Member States.