To the LHC and beyond

CERN was conceived in 1949 as a new European laboratory to halt the exodus of physics talent from Europe to North America. In 1954, the new lab formally came into existence upon ratification of the resolution by the first 12 European member states. To further strengthen its position as the top particle-physics laboratory in the world, the CERN council agreed a new seven-point strategy. Completing the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) on schedule in 2007 is the top priority, followed by consolidating the lab's infrastructure to guarantee reliable operation of the LHC; examining the lab's experimental program apart from the LHC; coordinating research in Europe; building a new injector for the LHC in 2006; increasing R&D on the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC); and working on a long-term strategy for the lab. CERN expects to complete half of these at the end of 2008. (Edited abstract).