EUA’s recommendations to increase the European Research Area’s impact and achieve the fifth freedom

This initiative is a promising step towards the full achievement of the ERA and the Single Market’s fifth freedom, i.e. the free movement of knowledge, research, innovation and education. The ERA Act is essential to overcome the structural obstacles that the voluntary nature of the ERA Policy Agenda has failed to address.

To this end, EUA outlined six recommendations:

1. The ERA Act should improve researchers’ working conditions and allow more flexible career pathways, as well as provide incentives to foster researchers’ mobility.
2. The fifth freedom should encompass knowledge in all its dimensions.
3. The Act should support a harmonised framework for an equitable open science ecosystem.
4. Knowledge valorisation efforts should provide legal clarity on how to rethink academic structures to give more incentives for innovation.
5. Any measure to protect and support the freedom of scientific research should be mindful of pre-existing frameworks.
6. To reach the target of investing 3% of GDP in R&I, member states must commit to reforms and significant national investments.

As previously advocated for by EUA in its publication ‘A renewed social contract for Europe and its universities’, the European Commission should better consider the sector’s needs when developing EU legislation. The Act should therefore introduce a ‘university check’, actively involving universities to assess the impact of new legislation on education and R&I activities, ensuring it is ‘fit for research’.

At the same time, EUA warns against potential unintended consequences of the future Act, such as onerous compliance requirements. Policy measures should instead safeguard the flexibility and autonomy of universities. The ERA Act should also foster synergies with the forthcoming Innovation Act, the European Education Area and European Higher Education Area.

Reflecting on these initial recommendations, Vinciane Gaillard, EUA Director for Research and Innovation, noted that:

“The three building blocks proposed by the European Commission relate to structural issues in the European Research Area that need EU-level action. Focusing on national commitments to achieve the 3% of GDP investment target, reducing the fragmentation of investment and policies and improving the framework conditions for researchers is a good starting point.”

“While European universities are ready to contribute to making the ERA Act a robust and impactful tool to reinforce the ERA and achieve the fifth freedom, member states’ full commitment will be key for this initiative to be truly successful.” she added.

As the design of the ERA Act is still in its early stages, EUA will continue to monitor its development and looks forward to co-creating, in dialogue with the European Commission, European Parliament, member states and fellow stakeholders to shape a fully integrated European Research Area.

Read EUA's full response