Adopted in January 2025, the European Research Area (ERA) Act is part of the Commission’s Communication on a Competitiveness Compass for the EU, which aims to narrow Europe’s innovation gap with other major global economies. The ERA Act is intended to strengthen the EU’s R&I landscape and make Europe a top destination for researchers worldwide. It also contributes to advancing the so-called “fifth freedom”, promoting the free movement of researchers, scientific knowledge, and technology across the EU single market.
The Public Consultation now open seeks to collect input on the main challenges the ERA Act addresses, with the goal of identifying possible EU-level legislative measures. The initiative focuses on key priorities such as boosting public and private investment in R&I, aligning policies and programmes between the EU and its Member States, upholding the ERA’s fundamental values, and improving the conditions for research and researchers in Europe.
The consultation is structured as a questionnaire, covering the core themes of the forthcoming legislation. It is open to all stakeholders involved or interested in research and innovation policy until 23 January 2026. A summary of the results will be made available on the Have Your Say portal.
The consultation explores several thematic areas, including:
- Strengthening R&D investment and meeting the 3% GDP target
- Enhancing the coordination of R&I investments, policies and programmes between the EU and Member States
- Improving research conditions in Europe — from upholding ERA values and promoting researcher mobility to addressing fragmented AI guidance and strengthening research security and international cooperation
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