Stakeholders Call for Stronger Commitments in the Upcoming ERA Act

European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva, plans to present an “ambitious yet realistic” proposal for the European Research Area (ERA) Act next year. The initiative seeks to address the persistent fragmentation of the EU’s research landscape and to remove barriers hindering researcher mobility. During the Research and Innovation Days, Zaharieva noted, “If it’s an act which repeats more or less the basic principles that we already have in the treaties, I don’t see much sense in proposing this act.” 

European policymakers have long been concerned that differing national rules and systems hinder scientists and innovators from collaborating across the EU’s internal borders. The ERA, established in 2000 to address this challenge, has so far relied mainly on voluntary measures, which have fallen short of creating a genuine single market for research and innovation. The proposed ERA Act aims to change this by introducing legally binding obligations to turn that vision into reality.

The upcoming ERA Act will set minimum standards for researchers’ career development, strengthen the free movement of researchers and knowledge, and introduce incentives for industry and public authorities to achieve the long-standing goal of investing 3% of GDP in research and development. To date, the EU has not met this target, reaching only 2.22% in 2023. 

In addition, recognising the different levels of economic development and the differing maturity of innovation ecosystems among member states, the forthcoming legislation will seek to better align EU and national funding and to concentrate research support on strategic priorities. According to the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, “Insufficient strategic alignment between EU and national funding programmes, especially with regard to co-financing, hampers companies’ participation. 

Another objective of the Commission is to improve researchers’ working conditions and enhance the circulation of knowledge and talent across Europe, in line with former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta’s vision of making the ERA the embodiment of the “fifth freedom.” Claire Fritz, coordinator of the Commission’s European Intellectual Property Helpdesk, confirms that valorisation, alongside skills in intellectual property, are unevenly available within the EU. She highlights “The ERA Act should promote integration of these competences into doctoral training and mobility schemes, with indicators for uptake and gender balance”.