A Third-Party Account is a cost centre in CERN's books made available for the exclusive purpose of permitting the account holder to manage and keep track of incoming funds and expenditure related to it's participation in an Experiment, hosted by CERN and registered in the "CERN Grey Book". 

Payements and accounting entries are executed by CERN at the request, and for the exclusive account, of th account holder. Consequently, a Third-Party Account cannot be used for CERN core activities but only for professional activities of external parties, which occur on CERN's premises and are related to a CERN approved or recognized experiment.

Research Institutions actively participating in an experiment at CERN may request the opening of a Third-Party Account either independently or in the frame of a Collaboration. 

NB: Externally funded projects that do not qualify for opening a Third-Party Account are subject to the policies applicable to External Contributions and Fundraising.

Third-Party Accounts and their use are subject to:

• the conditions set out in the “Conditions applicable to the opening and use of Third-Party Accounts”
• the relevant principles, processes and financial thresholds of the CERN Staff Rules and Regulations and admin e-guides;
• the CERN Financial Rules and Regulations;
• any relevant decision of the CERN Management.

CERN is particularly attentive to transparency towards funding Institutions as well as prevention against tax evasion, money laundering and parking of money.