On 4 September 2018, eleven national research funding organisations in Europe jointly published the so-called “Plan S”. Its aim is to accelerate the transition towards Open Access to research publications.

The EU hopes to conclude a series of trade deals in the near future. Its new agreement with Japan follows hard on the heels of its deal with Canada (CETA), which is now being provisionally implemented.

The European University Association (EUA) welcomes the European Commission Joint Research Centre’s report on “A Regional Innovation Impact: Assessment Framework for universities”. The report opens the debate on the impact that universities can have on regional innovation. It also recognises the importance of assessment frameworks and shows the strategic role of universities in their innovation ecosystems.

2017 has been the busiest year yet for EUA, given the broad range of policies we have advocated for at the EU level, and our growing outreach through a variety of membership activities.

What will happen to university collaboration in Europe after Brexit? With Europe’s research and mobility heavyweight leaving the European Union, many are understandably worried about what will happen in the future.

At its meeting on 12 June 2018, the Board of the European University Association (EUA) welcomed the new political momentum of the Bologna Process resulting from the Ministerial Conference in Paris (23-25 May) and the adoption of the Paris Communiqué. 

EUA has published a Roadmap on Research Assessment in the Transition to Open Science. The main objective is to raise awareness and support the EUA membership with the development of research assessment approaches that focus on research quality, potential and future impact, and that take into account Open Science practices.

EUA and more than a dozen other university associations have united to issue a common response to the European Commission’s proposal for Horizon Europe. The 14 signatory associations discussed the Commission’s proposal and outlined the most crucial elements that need to be ironed out in the negotiating process.

The European University Association (EUA) welcomes the European Commission’s proposal for the next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (Horizon Europe). The Association is pleased to see that many of its proposals and suggestions from previous positions have been taken up. However, there are several areas that deserve further reflection.

On 30 May the European Commission released its proposal for the 2021-2027 Erasmus programme. The European University Association (EUA) welcomes the draft as a solid basis for discussion on the programme’s future, including the much-needed budget increase. The Association finds, however, that policy makers should further reflect on how much it will cost to reach the objectives set out at the 2017 Gothenburg Social Summit and in the related Commission Communication on the creation of a European Education Area by 2025. Given the EU’s ambition for a more social Europe, EUA believes that the proposal requires a more explicit stance on social inclusion and equity.