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ERA Policy Agenda 2022-2024

The ERA Policy Agenda sets out voluntary ERA actions for the period 2022-2024 to contribute to the priority areas defined in the Council Recommendation on a Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe (Pact for R&I).

It is a first step to addressing comprehensively the priority areas set out in the Pact for R&I. Subsequent editions of the ERA Policy Agenda will further complement these actions in the long term.

The list of actions draws mainly on the Commission’s Communication ‘A new ERA for Research and Innovation’ of September 2020 and on the Council conclusions of December 2020 on the ‘New European Research Area’ . It also takes into account the Council conclusions on ‘Deepening the ERA: Providing researchers with attractive and sustainable careers and working conditions and making brain circulation a reality’ of May 2021 and on the ‘Global approach to Research and Innovation’ of September 2021.

The development of this list profited from the debates held in the ERA Forum for Transition, a Commission expert group that facilitated an intense co-design process between the Commission and the Member States, Associated Countries other EU bodies and R&I stakeholders during 2021.

Below, the actions of the ERA Policy Agenda 2022-2024 are ordered according to the four priority area in the Pact for R&I .

European Economic and Social Committee

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The new European Research Area

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• Published: 2021
• Corporate author(s): Directorate-General for Research and Innovation ( European Commission )
• Themes: Scientific and technical research
• Subject: EU research policy , gender equality , innovation , investment , knowledge management , open science , research staff , single market , technology

• Released on EU Publications: 2021-10-12

Making R&I transformative: evidence in support of the European Research Area communication

Description.

In order to address today’s multiple challenges, ERA needs to accelerate the transitions, strengthen resilience to future crises, while sustaining its competitiveness. High quality results require sufficient levels of investments in R&I, in particular from Member States and the private sector. Lagging innovation ecosystems can hardly improve without intense cooperation between academia and industry accompanied by better access to excellent facilities and infrastructures. While overall the EU is already leading in research and scientific excellence, it needs to step up its support to breakthrough market-driven innovations that will underpin green digital Europe and will boost growth, job creation and competitiveness. Only an excellent and impactful R&I system, will offer attractive career paths for researchers, mutually favourable circulation of talents within the EU and increase attractiveness of the EU abroad.

By Lukas Borunsky, Ana Correia, Stijn Delauré, Roberto Martino, Ruzica Rakic and Julien Ravet (DG RTD)

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Universities must have a voice in shaping the European Research Area

The new era will need to bring all sides to the table so that we can shape the future of europe’s r&i sector together, writes the european university association’s stephane berghmans..

The much-welcomed renewed interest in the European Research Area (ERA) was concretely kicked off last year with the European Commission Communication on “A new ERA for Research and Innovation”. Under the German Presidency of the Council of the EU, this was followed by Council Conclusions on the New European Research Area, which called for an inclusive governance. However, more than three months later, we still do not know what the ERA governance will look like and, more importantly, how stakeholders will be involved.

Having historically been a strong advocate and a formal partner in shaping the ERA since 2012, the European University Association (EUA) has expressed the  concerns of the sector  on the lack of clarity on the ERA governance; the Commission Communication mentions the role of stakeholders only on a few rare occasions and without providing any detail. This is a far cry from the time when a  structural collaboration between the Commission and Europe’s universities  guided the development and implementation of an ERA that worked for the benefit of all European R&I stakeholders.

The new ERA has very ambitious goals for R&I, which is rightly highlighted as one of the key features of Europe’s recovery, enhanced preparedness and resilience, competitiveness, and sovereignty. To be successful, the new ERA will need to bring together not only the Commission and EU member states, as we see happening today, but all the key R&I stakeholders including universities.

First and foremost, the word “stakeholder” says it so well: universities have a major stake in the new ERA as they are instrumental in gathering the evidence needed to identify key challenges and find their solutions. The development of the new ERA must not be based only on a select number of voices. Instead, evidence-based policy for the ERA will only be formulated following a structured dialogue with diverse R&I actors. This is the only way to ensure that inclusive, effective and flexible R&I systems are at the core of the ambitions set for the new ERA.

Universities have played and will need to continue to play a central role in the ERA, as they have throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and the start of the recovery. Vaccines are a perfect illustration of the societal impact of universities on Europe’s R&I. The vaccines we see administrated today, to save lives and to enable us all to move back to a more normal life, are all directly or indirectly the consequence of research and innovation that has been taking place at universities for decades.

Furthermore, the Commission Communication and Council Conclusions rightly state that the new ERA should be anchored in the principle of excellence - while the Communication specifically calls for revision of research assessment practices. However, the meaning of excellence in the Communication is limited to proxy indicators based on scientific articles. This is at odds with recent  initiatives from universities and national systems across Europe to move away from an overreliance on publication-based metrics . While the proposed key actions in the Commission Communication link research quality to the “number of highly-cited publications”, the momentum for the transition to Open Science - whose importance has been reinforced during the COVID-19 pandemic - is pointing towards more holistic assessment approaches. That is why the new ERA needs a broad and forward-looking definition of excellence to be co-created with representative bodies of universities and R&I stakeholders.

Finally, to fulfil Europe’s innovative ambitions, the instrumental role that universities play in regional ecosystems will be needed to foster regional development and industrial competitiveness. As honest brokers, they are connected and bring together industry and society in ways that go beyond the short-term project-based transfer of already established knowledge. Similarly, the new ERA will need to enable dialogue and synergies with the European Education Area. Here, again, universities have a central role as unique places where research, innovation, and education in service to society are brought together.

Universities and other R&I stakeholders must be included in the new ERA governance system through which the Commission and member states will “set and update policy priorities, monitor and assess progress and ensure strategic advice”. The European Research and Innovation Days website uses the slogan “Let’s shape the future together”. To do this, we need a comprehensive and structured dialogue with all stakeholders. This is the only route towards a co-developed, co-designed, co-created and, thus, successful new ERA.

This article was originally published by The Parliament Magazine on 16 March 2021.

Stephane Berghmans is Director of Research and Innovation at EUA.

European Research Area (ERA)

The European Research Area (ERA) is a single, borderless market for research and innovation fostering the free movement of researchers, scientific knowledge and innovation, and encouraging a more competitive European industry.

The ERA helps countries to be more effective by acting together, by closely aligning their research policies and programmes. The free circulation of researchers and knowledge enables better cross-border cooperation, the building up of critical mass and continent-wide competition.

Spreading excellent research and innovation (R&I) plays a key role in upgrading Europe’s research and innovation system in order for it to drive the digital and climate transitions and to contribute to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ERA was launched in 2000, in the context of the Lisbon strategy. In 2009, the ERA got explicit recognition in Article 179 (1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which raised the achievement of the ERA to the level of a European Union objective.

Objectives and actions:

As part of the process to revitalise the ERA, the European Commission published its communication ‘A new ERA for Research and Innovation’ on 30 September 2020. The communication announced four objectives:

prioritise investments and reforms in research and innovation, to support the digital and green transition and Europe’s recovery;

improve access to excellent research and innovation for researchers across the EU;

translate results into the economy to ensure market uptake of research output and Europe’s competitive leadership in technology;

make progress on the free circulation of knowledge, researchers and technology through stronger cooperation with EU countries.

To achieve these objectives the EU and the EU countries will shape the new European Research Area through 14 actions.

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A new ERA for Research and Innovation

The European Research Area (ERA) aims to increase collaboration between the national research systems and to ensure better policy coordination between the Member States and the EU. Originally launched in 2000, the ERA was renewed in 2020, starting with the adoption of the Commission’s Communication on A new ERA for Research and Innovation . The revitalised ERA’s ambition is to better address the societal, ecological and economic challenges, based on three pillars established in November 2021: new ERA governance involving the ERA Forum; adoption of a Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe ; and a new ERA Policy Agenda with 20 concrete ERA actions for 2022-2024.

In this frame, the ERA Forum serves for the Commission and EU countries to co-design and coordinate the implementation of the ERA actions, prepare future updates of the policy agenda and ensure the involvement of relevant stakeholders.

ERRIN's recommendations on the future of the European Research Area

• ERRIN's work on ERA
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ERRIN's work on ERA

ERRIN has been observing ERA since before the start of the renewal process and actively contributing to its developments, including to the Commission’s Communication from 2020. ERRIN welcomed the communication, where multi-level governance and a systemic approach are key components. The network is an active stakeholder in the ERA Forum, within the Research and Technology Performing Organisations (RTPO) category. Regarding the ERA Policy Agenda 2022-2024 , as an organisation, we are committed to the following ERA actions, linking to EU Missions and Widening as two main network priorities:

• Action 10: sub-action on EU Missions
• Action 11: sub-action on ERA4FutureWork
• Action 15: Regional and national R&I ecosystems (ERA Hubs)
• Action 16: Access to excellence

ERA Action 15 and a pilot project dedicated to the ERA Hubs concept and rollout are of particular interest to ERRIN. ERA Hubs are an opportunity to create a framework for both multi-level governance and multi-stakeholder approach, whose role in addressing societal challenges is increasingly recognised. This action should also be seen as an essential foundation and point of reference for supporting more thematic ecosystem approaches such as Hydrogen Valleys or Renewable Energy Valleys.

Linking to Action 16, since 2023 ERRIN is part of a new ERA Forum sub-group ‘Access to excellence’ – ‘R&I and Cohesion Managing Authorities’ Network (RIMA) launched to kick-off its implementation.

Moreover, ERRIN aims to follow a number of other ERA actions, such as action 12: Accelerate the green/digital transition of Europe’s key industrial ecosystems.

Currently, we are also involved in the process of shaping the next ERA Policy Agenda 2025-2027 in the ERA Forum, engaging ERRIN members in the reflections.

Furthermore, our network is a partner of the Knowledge Exchange Platform , relaunched as KEP 2.0 in 2020 to support regions and cities in promoting science and research locally.

Since 2020 ERRIN has formulated several input papers concerning the ERA including on the future of the ERA in June 2020, on the ERA governance in April 2021 and on the roll-out of ERA Hubs in October 2021. Over the years, multiple meetings around ERA have been organised by the ERRIN Policy Working Group, with most recent ones in 2023 on ERA Policy Agenda going forward ; and on ERA Hubs: Defining the concept .

In 2023, Two European projects were launched under the call “ Testing of the ERA Hub concept – pilot phase ” – ERA FABRIC and COOPERATE – both led by ERRIN members. ERRIN Director Pirita Lindholm is currently part of the ERA_FABRIC Advisory Board.

Regarding ERRIN’s involvement in the process of developing the next ERA Policy Agenda 2025-2027, the network has so far submitted an initial contribution to the gap analysis in 2023 and answered ERA Forum survey to evaluate the proposed new ERA Actions in January 2024, while remaining actively involved in the ERA Forum meeting discussions.

ERRIN's policy messages

To strengthen and make the ERA more impactful, the following points should be considered:

• Broadening the scope of ERA by explicitly including innovation
• Integrating a place-based research and innovation ecosystem approach
• Applying a truly multi-level governance model where the regional and local levels are included
• Creating a working group to further elaborate the ERA Hubs, to bring the ecosystem perspective to the ERA to map existing initiatives, structures and networks; create a better understanding of the local and regional research and innovation ecosystems; and identify gaps and areas where further support should be provided to ecosystems.

Moreover, with regard to the ERA Forum, ERRIN recommends:

• Improving overall organisation of the stakeholder engagement, which should be much more flexible in the ERA Forum and the specific ERA actions, including the revision of the stakeholder categories
• Strengthening communication and involvement of stakeholders at member state level
• Increasing ownership and engagement of the stakeholders in individual actions
• Further focusing of the work of the Forum and limiting the number of the ERA actions that require active engagement of everyone
• Co-creating the core set of ERA policy actions within the ERA Forum

Latest Updates

• By Astrid Hannes

Input for the candidate Partnership on Social Transformations and Resilience

ERRIN is inviting members to contribute input to the candidate Horizon Europe Partnership on Social Transformation and Resilience and the R&I topics that should be addressed by the partnership by 14 June. The four predefined objectives for this new Partnership are social protection and essential services, future of work, education and skills and a fair transition towards climate neutrality.

• By Ewa Chomicz

Showcase your EU-funded project at the ERA Conference on 18-19 September 2024

Would you like to showcase your EU-funded project to an audience of key European stakeholders? In preparation for the high-level ERA Conference on 18-19 September 2024, INSPIRING ERA is looking for innovative and impactful projects that have made significant contributions to the European Research Area. Call for proposals is open until 7 June.

NEIA implementation report & Regional Innovation Valleys update

On 20 March, the Commission published the first report on the state of play of the New European Innovation Agenda, following its launch in July 2022. The document outlines the progress and achievements with regard to the 25 actions under Agenda’s five flagships, including the Regional Innovation Valleys. On the same day, an EU R&I Days debate on the way forward for RIVs was also held.

Horizon Europe strategic plan 2025-2027 is out

On 20 March, the Commission adopted the second Horizon Europe strategic plan. The plan sets out three key strategic orientations for the EU's research and innovation funding for the last three years of the programme (2025-2027). Find out what novelties the new strategic plan brings.

Call for short position papers on HE & FP10 from the Commission Expert Group on the Interim Evaluation of Horizon Europe

The Expert Group on the Interim Evaluation of Horizon Europe, which will advise the Commission on the future European Framework Programme for R&I (FP10), is calling for 2-page position papers from institutional actors addressing four predefined questions. The aim is to further involve key stakeholders in the Group's work, benefiting from their insights and feedback.

• By jessica mitchell

Coventry University Open for MSCA PF Fellows

Marie Skłodowska Curie (MSCA) European Postdoctoral Fellowships​ - If you are looking to grow in your research profile, keen to boost your career prospects and ready to be part of our thriving research environment, Coventry University invites you to get in touch about suitability for the following MSCA postdoctoral European fellowships at our Coventry campus.​

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Launched in 2000, the European Research Area (ERA) aims to better integrate European research and innovation systems and to improve cooperation between the European Union (EU), its Member States and all participating third countries. The European Research Area has the goal of creating a single, borderless market for research, innovation and technology among the participating countries.

Switzerland and the European Research Area

The achievements of the european research area.

In 2018, a revitalisation process of the ERA was launched to better respond to the changing needs in the research and innovation area. Particularly mission-oriented which aims to solve societal challenges, and 'open science' policies played an important role in this. Against this background, the European Commission presented its “ Communication on a new ERA ” in September 2020, which was endorsed in the “ Council Conclusions on the new ERA ” in December 2020. The new ERA will be based on excellence and seeks to be competitive, talent-driven and open.

The new governance of the European Research Area aims to strengthen coordination within the EU, its Member States and with associated as well as relevant third countries and stakeholders. The new ERA should contribute to a greater recognition and enhancement of the role of research and innovation and their usage in addressing societal and economic challenges in Europe.

Currently, the European Research Area finds itself in a transition phase towards the vision of the new ERA. As part of this transformation, the “ Pact for Research and Innovation “ and the “ ERA Policy Agenda “ were launched in 2021. The “Pact for Research and Innovation” sets out general priority areas for joint action in the European Research Area.

The “ERA Policy Agenda” sets ERA's priorities for the next three years. The “ERA Policy Agenda” contains a catalogue of  “ERA Actions” for the period 2022-2024, which are intended to contribute to the objectives set out in the “Pact for Research and Innovation”. The final version and the possible implementation of the "ERA Actions" are currently being discussed in the ERA Forum.

• The new governance foresees a committed political participation through a strong role of the research ministers through the Council (decision-making) and ERA ministerial conferences.
• The European Research Area and Innovation Committee (ERAC) should continue at a high executive level, with a strategic advisory role on the implementation of the ERA, the ERA policy design, and EU R&I policy in general, with the ambition of bringing national and European R&I policy closer together.
• The newly founded ERA Forum as the operational body of the ERA, is responsible for enhancing coordination towards the effective implementation of the ERA Policy Agenda, and supports the Commission and the Member States in the delivery of the ERA Actions.
• The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) Steering Board continue their work as independent Commission Expert Groups and closely coordinate with and regularly inform the ERA Forum.

Switzerland supports the ambitious goals of the new European Research Area. Associated countries, relevant third countries, as Switzerland, and important stakeholders are to be involved in a case-by-case approach in the new ERA.

The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) ensures that researchers in Switzerland have the opportunity to participate in the EU Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation, as far as this is possible in the current non-associated third country mode. SERI will coordinate Switzerland's participation in the various committees and initiatives for the further development of ERA where this is envisaged.

For the time being, Switzerland is considered a non-associated third country in the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation "Horizon Europe" and related programmes and initiatives. This status can change at any time. Switzerland's full association to "Horizon Europe" remains the Federal Council's declared goal.

Switzerland and the EU share a long-standing and successful cooperation in the areas of research and innovation, which should also be continued in the new European Research Area.

Over the past 20 years, great successes have been achieved in the European Research Area. The following overview provides a short insight into the common achievements of the European Research Area, in which Switzerland has also played a part:

• Research infrastructures : The work of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) resulted in the development of plans for 63 European Research Infrastructures across all fields of science, resulting in the mobilisation of over EUR 20 billion in investments.
• Research programmes : Jointly addressing common challenges through coordination and pooling of resources has resulted in more than EUR 7 billion of national investment in joint research programmes since 2004, with annual joint spending of EUR 800 million.
• Research careers : Significant progress has been made in removing geographical barriers to researcher mobility and the fragmentation of research careers in Europe driven by the “ European Charter for Researchers and a Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers ”, which has already been adopted by 1242 organisations. In addition, the EURAXESS initiative supports the mobility and career development of researchers by providing information and support services to professional researchers.
• Open science : ERA has improved access to open, free, reusable scientific information through the Open Science Initiative and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), which created a cloud area for research data in Europe allowing for better science through open and collaborative knowledge sharing.
• International cooperation : In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ERAvsCorona action plan was launched. This aimed to achieve greater coordination, collaboration, data sharing and funding within ERA in the fight against Covid-19 in the field of research and innovation.
• Gender equality in research and innovation : Gender equality in research and innovation is a priority of the ERA. Already in the “ ERA Communication 2012 ”, the European Commission set three objectives to work with the countries and promote institutional change. The “ ERA Policy Agenda ” also aims to further advance gender equality in research and innovation.

Further information

ERAC Opinion on the future of the ERA (Dec 2019)

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic And Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: A New ERA For Research And Innovation (Sep, 2020)

Position Paper on the new ERA SERI (PDF, 134 kB, 04.04.2022) (Oct 2020)

Council Conclusions on the new European Research Area (Dec 2020)

Council recommendation on a Pact for research and innovation in Europe (Nov 2021)

Council conclusions on future governance of ERA (Nov 2021)

European Research Area (ERA)

European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI)

European Open Science Cloud (EOSC)

ERAvsCorona action plan

Swiss National ERA Roadmap (PDF, 995 kB, 07.07.2016)

European Research Area Progress Report 2014

European Research Area Facts and Figures 2014

Communication from the European Commission from 17 July 2012: A Reinforced European Research Area Partnership for Excellence and Growth

ERA FRAMEWORK PUBLIC CONSULTATION: Position of Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Education and Research (PDF, 602 kB, 15.08.2012)

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SERI, Anna Fill Scientific Advisor International Research and Innovation Programmes  T +41 58 485 08 83

SERI, Brita Bamert Scientific Advisor International Research and Innovation Programmes T +41 58 463 27 97

A new European Research Area

Commission sets new plan to support green and digital transition and EU recovery

On 30 September, the European Commission adopted a  Communication on a new European Research Area for Research and Innovation . Based on excellence, competitive, open and talent-driven, the new  European Research Area  will improve Europe's research and innovation landscape, accelerate the EU's transition towards climate neutrality and digital leadership,  support its  recovery  from the societal and economic impact of the coronavirus crisis, and strengthen its resilience against future crises.

The Commission set out strategic objectives and actions to be implemented in close cooperation with the Member States, in order to prioritise investments and reforms in research and innovation, improve access to excellence for researchers across the EU and enable research results to reach the market and the real economy. Additionally, the Communication will further promote researchers' mobility, skills and career development opportunities within the EU, gender equality, as well as better access to publicly funded peer-reviewed science.

Executive Vice-President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age, Margrethe  Vestager , said:

“ The EU is already leading innovation through its research and scientific excellence. We want to build on that and step up our efforts towards achieving breakthrough market-driven innovations that will contribute to a green digital Europe and will boost growth, job creation and our competiveness in the global scene. Today we are setting a new ambition for a European Research Area to facilitate cooperation and contribute to a more competitive European industry. ”

Mariya  Gabriel , Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: 

“We live in times when scientific activities require faster and effective collaborations. We need to strengthen the European Research Area. An area embracing all of Europe, because knowledge has no territorial boundaries, because scientific knowledge grows with collaborations, because knowledge is trusted if there is open scrutiny of its quality. It has also more chances to achieve peaks of excellence and support an innovative and risk taking industry to shape a resilient, green and digital future.”

Launched in 2000, the European Research Area has made major achievements over the past years – yet, today's context prompts us to rethink how to strengthen its role, better define and implement its key objectives, as well as make it more attractive as a common space for creating valuable research and innovation. Moreover, Europe is currently facing significant societal, ecological and economic challenges that are aggravated by the coronavirus crisis. Research and innovation is therefore crucial in addressing these challenges, delivering on Europe's recovery and speeding up the twin green and digital transitions.

Objectives of the new European Research Area

Building on Europe's innovation leadership and scientific excellence, the new European Research Area aims to incentivise better coordination and cooperation among the EU, its Member States and the private sector; lead to more investments in research and innovation; strengthen mobility of researchers, their expertise, and the flow of knowledge;

The Communication defines four strategic objectives:

• Prioritise investments and reforms in research and innovation  towards the green and digital transition, to support Europe's recovery and increase competitiveness.

EU support towards research and innovation is foreseen through various programmes, such as the  Horizon Europe , the  Cohesion policy , and the  Next Generation EU . To bring about the required positive change and ensure quality of results, EU support must be complemented by investments from Member States and the private sector. The Communication reaffirms the  target of 3% of GDP  to be invested on EU research and innovation and prompts further cooperation among Member states, and alignment of national efforts, by setting a  target of 5%  of  national public funding  to joint research and development programmes and European partnerships, by 2030.  

The principle of  excellence , which entails that the best researchers with the best ideas can obtain funding, remains the cornerstone for all investments under the European Research area.

• Improve access to excellent facilities   and infrastructures  for researchers across the EU.

Member States' research and innovation investment remains uneven, which translates into gaps in scientific excellence and innovation output that need to be bridged. The EU already supports lagging countries, including with tailor-made support on the ground, and Horizon Europe will further ensure so, through enhanced collaborations with more experienced counterparts, in order to improve access to excellence. The Commission proposes that Member States, lagging behind the EU average research and innovation investment over GDP, direct their efforts to  increase their investments by 50% in the next 5 years .

To this end, mobility opportunities for researchers to access excellence and expand their experience will be created through dedicated training and  mobility schemes  between industry and academia. In order to reflect the progress towards research based on excellence, Member States lagging behind the EU average on highly cited publications should reduce the gap to the EU average by  at least one third in the next 5 years .

• Transfer results to the economy  to boost business investments and market uptake of research output, as well as foster EU competitiveness and leadership in the global technological setting.

In view of speeding up the transfer of research results into the real economy and supporting the implementation of the  new Industrial Strategy , the Commission will encourage and guide the development of  common technology plans  with industry that will allow crowding in more private investments in key international projects. This will foster the development of competitive technologies in key strategic areas, while securing a stronger European presence in the global scene.

In parallel, following a detailed monitoring exercise, the Commission will explore the possibility of developing a  networking framework  that will build on existing entities and capacities, such as centres of excellence or  Digital Innovation Hubs , to facilitate collaboration and exchange of best practices by 2022. Still in this two-year framework, the Commission will update and develop guiding principles, which will ensure that innovation can be valorised and rewarded, as well as a code of practice for the smart use of intellectual property, to ensure access to effective and affordable intellectual property protection.

• Strengthen mobility of researchers and free flow of knowledge and technology , through greater cooperation among Member States, to ensure that everyone benefits from research and its results.

The EU will aim to improve career development opportunities to attract and retain the best researchers in Europe as well as incentivise researchers to pursue a career outside academia. To this end, it will also deliver, by the end of 2024, in partnership with Member States and research organisations,  a toolbox of support for researchers' careers . The toolbox will consist of the following elements: a Researchers Competence Framework to identify key skills and mismatches; a mobility scheme to support exchange and mobility of researchers across industry and academia; targeted training and professional development opportunities under Horizon Europe; and, a one-stop shop portal for people to more easily find information and manage their learning and careers.

The EU will work towards accomplishing the above strategic objectives, in close cooperation with the Member States, through  14 actions  that are linked to each other and will be instrumental in realising the European Research Area. Furthermore, the Commission will drive a  European Forum for Transition , a strategic discussion forum with Member States that will support them in the coherent implementation of these four objectives. The Commission will also propose, by the first half of 2021, that Member States adopt a  Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe , which will reinforce their commitment to shared policies and principles and indicate the areas where they will jointly develop priority actions.

As part of its initiatives to support the recovery and build a green and digital Europe, the Commission, in addition to the new European Research Area, adopted today a new  Digital Education Action Plan , to adapt education and training systems to the digital age, as well as a  Communication on the European Education Area  as a driver for job creation and growth.

The European Research Area was launched in 2000 with the aim of better organising and integrating Europe's research and innovation systems and enhancing cooperation between the EU, the Member States, their regions and their stakeholders. It also aimed for the free circulation of researchers, scientific knowledge and technology throughout the EU and focused on stimulating cross-border cooperation and on improving and coordinating the research and innovation policies and programmes of the Member States. 

In 2018, the Council of the European Union made a call to revamp the European Research Area in 2020 with a new Commission Communication. In December 2019, Member States advised on the future of the European Research Area through an opinion of the European Research and Innovation Committee.

As part of the EU response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Commission introduced the  ERAvsCorona Action Plan  in April of this year. Building on the overall objectives and the tools of the European Research Area, the action plan is a working document developed jointly by the Commission and national governments. It covers short-term actions based on close coordination, cooperation, data sharing and shared funding efforts.

For more information

Factsheet : A new European Research Area

European Research Area

Video ‘The new European Research Area'

Communication: A new European Research Area for Research and Innovation

Staff Working Document

Future of Research and Innovation and the European Research Area

In “A Europe Fit for the Digital Age”

Legislative

CWP indicative date:

Rapporteur(s)

On 29 January 2020, the European Commission's new work programme was published. Under policy objective no. 16 - Towards a European Research Area - the Commission announced  two initiatives. One of this initiatives is the non-legislative 'Communication on the Future of Research and Innovation and the European Research Area'. The communication was supposed to be published in the second quarter of 2020. However, due to the COVD-19 crisis, on 27 May 2020, the Commission published a revised 2020 work programme, announcing that the proposal would be published in the third quarter of 2020.

The new initiative aims to revitalise the European Research Area (ERA) by providing it with a new vision, consisting in a transformative R&I policy that better addresses the major challenges of the digital and green transition as well as increases the Union’s resilience following the COVID-19 pandemic. The communication intends to establish clear objectives for the ERA and include specific actions to be carried out at EU level but also together with the Member States.

The Commission conducted an open consultation with stakeholders on its upcoming communication from 6 July until 3 August 2020. The European Commission presented its proposal on the future of the European Research Area on 30 September 2020.

In order to ensure that a new ERA is fit for the challenges ahead, the Commission proposes a new vision based on the following strategic objectives, which can only be achieved in partnership with Member States. The fourth objective consist of deepening the ERA in existing priorities, whereas the other three objectives will broaden the ERA towards new priorities:

I. Prioritising investments   and reforms : to accelerate the   green and   digital transformation   and   to increase   competitiveness   as well as   the speed and depth of the recovery.

II. Improving access to excellence : towards more excellence and stronger R&I systems   across the whole of the EU   where best practice is disseminated faster across Europe.

III. Translating R&I results into the economy :   R&I   policies should aim at   boost ing   the resilience and competitiveness of our economies and societies.

IV. Deepening the ERA :   to further progress on the free circulation of knowledge in an upgraded, efficient and effective R&I system , in particular by moving from an approach of coordination towards deeper integration between national policies .

To accomplish the objectives the Commission proposes a set of actions to be implemented in collaboration with Member States and stakeholders according to an   ERA Roadmap.

On 15 December 2020, the EP's lead committee, the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) committee, appointed Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI. On 8 July 2021, the European Parliament adopted by 634 votes to 5, with 57 abstentions, its resolution on a new ERA for Research and Innovation largely endorsing the Commission communication on a new ERA.

Following the adoption of the resolution, the pact for research and innovation in Europe was adopted as Council Recommendation 2021/2122 on 26 November 2021.

It includes four main dimensions:

• a set of common values and principles for research and innovation in the Union, which Member States and their research and innovation stakeholders should apply and promote in their initiatives across and beyond the EU. Such values include notably research integrity and scientific freedom, or gender equality.
• the identification of areas for joint actions among Member States and the Union. Such topics include policy interventions in R&I to ensure gender equality, or the development of open science. They consist also in setting the direction of the relevant R&I investment to accelerate the digital and ecological transition.
• prioritising investment and reforms, to ensure the appropriate level of investment.
• a framework for policy coordination and monitoring by the Member States and the EU. The 2022-2024 ERA policy agenda includes  20 measures organised against four main headings: a) deepening a truly functioning internal market for research, b) taking up the challenges posed by the twin transition and increasing society’s participation, c) amplifying access to excellence across the ERA, d) advancing concerted research and innovation investment and reforms.

Under the first heading, the fourth priority aims at promoting attractive and sustainable research careers. Among the outcomes of the objective, the EU charter of researchers and the 2005 code for researchers has been revised with a 2023 proposal for a recommendation of the Council. Among the other planned outcomes, an observatory on research careers is expected to be launch, and the European framework for research careers is expected to be piloted with the European Universities alliances.

On 8 December 2023, the Competitiveness Council adopted a political agreement on a European framework to attract and retain research, innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe. The recommendation aims at retaining talented researchers in the Union, and at attracting in the EU research talents from around the world. It also updates the common definition of ‘researcher’, and the description of the activities that researchers undertake, allowing to provide a scope including the widest range of career options.

On 24 January 2024, the Commission adopted a proposal for a Council recommendation on enhancing research security. It provides for a definition of research security based on the management of three sets of risks:  a) the transfer of knowledge, know-how or technology that may affect the security of the Union ; b) any interference on by third Countries to leverage research in inciting researchers or students to self-censorship, or to breaching research integrity or academic freedom ; c) any misuse of knowledge and technologies to undermine or cancel fundamental values across the world, including through ethical or integrity violations. 

References:

• EP Legislative Observatory, Procedure file on A new ERA for Research and Innovation , 2021/2524(RSP)  
• European Parliament,  Resolution of 8 July 2021 on a new ERA for Research and Innovation ( 2021/2524(RSP) )  
• European Commission, Annexes to the Commission Work Programme 2020 - A Union that strives for more , COM(2020) 37, 29.1.2020
• European Commission, Roadmap on the upcoming Communication on the future of research and innovation and the European Research Area , 7 July 2020
• European Commission, A new ERA for Research and Innovation , COM(2020) 628
• Council of the EU, Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/2122 on a Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe , 2021
• European Commission, European Research Area policy agenda 2022-202 4, 2022
• European Commission, proposal for a Council recommendation (EU) on a European framework to attract and retain research, innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe (COM/2023/436 final), 2023
• Council of the EU, press release of the Competitiveness Council of 8 December 2023 , 2023
• European Commission,  proposal for a Council recommendation on enhancing research security , 2024

Further reading:

• European Parliament, EPRS, European research area (ERA) – Regional and cross-border perspectives , Briefing, April 2019
• European Parliament, EPRS, Research and innovation in the EU: Evolution, achievements, challenges , Briefing, November 2018
• European Parliament, EPRS, European Research Area - Cost of Non-Europe Report , Study, April 2016
• European Parliament, EPRS, The European Research Area: Evolving concept, implementation challenges , In-Depth Analysis, March 2016

Author: Clément Evroux , Members' Research Service, [email protected]

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• Terminology

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Legislative initiatives - by the European Parliament

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