Have Your Say: European Commission's Launch of the ERA Act
7 Nov 2025
The European Commission has opened a public consultation on the upcoming European Research Area (ERA) Act, a central initiative of the EU Competitiveness Compass exposed in January 2025. The proposed Act aims to establish a legislative framework that strengthens Europe’s research and innovation (R&I) system and supports the “fifth freedom”, the unrestricted movement of researchers, knowledge, and technology throughout the European Union.
Drawing on the 2024 reports by Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi, the ERA Act seeks to advance the integration of research and innovation within the EU Single Market, close performance gaps between Member States, and reinforce Europe’s global leadership in science and technology.
Objective of the Consultation
The consultation welcomes input from all stakeholders involved in or affected by R&I activities. Its purpose is to collect perspectives on the main challenges and potential policy actions that could be addressed through EU legislation. In particular, the Commission is seeking views on how to:
- Achieve EU-wide R&D investment targets by mobilising both public and private funding;
- Improve coordination between national and EU research programmes;
- Uphold academic freedom, inclusiveness, and ethical research standards;
- Enhance career development, mobility, and open science practices for researchers.
Main Focus Areas
The consultation’s questionnaire covers several priority themes:
- Increasing R&D Investment
- Advancing towards the 3% of GDP R&D goal.
- Narrowing research and innovation disparities across the EU.
- Strengthening coordination between public and private funding sources.
- Aligning Research and Innovation Policies
- Addressing the fragmentation of EU and national R&I strategies.
- Reforming European Partnerships to boost transparency and strategic coherence.
- Improving the Research Environment
- Promoting academic freedom, gender equality, and inclusiveness.
- Supporting the free movement of researchers and knowledge, tackling job insecurity, and fostering open science.
- Developing EU-wide principles for responsible AI use in research.
- Enhancing research security and ensuring consistent standards in a complex global context.
Next Steps
The consultation is open until 23 January 2026. Stakeholders are invited to share their feedback and upload position papers through the European Commission’s “Have Your Say” platform
Participate in the consultation on the European Research Area (ERA) Act.
