Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2025)62 - European Research Area Policy Agenda 2025-2027
Please note
This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2025)62 - European Research Area Policy Agenda 2025-2027. |
|---|---|
| source | COM(2025)62 |
| date | 28-02-2025 |
1. CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL
• Reasons for and objectives of the proposal
The purpose of the European Research Area (ERA) is to create an area where ‘researchers, scientific knowledge and technology circulate freely’ (Article 179 TFEU). The ERA was relaunched in 2020, including the adoption of the Pact for Research and Innovation (R&I)1 in Europe, articulating the following Member States’ joint priority areas for action:
deepening a truly functioning internal market for knowledge;
taking up together the green transition and digital transformation and other challenges with impact on society, and increasing society’s participation in the ERA;
enhancing access to R&I excellence across the Union and enhancing interconnections between innovation ecosystems across the Union;
advancing concerted R&I investments and reforms.
By setting up new governance structures and a first ERA Policy Agenda 2022-2024 with concrete actions, the EU injected fresh momentum into the ERA, aligning R&I strategies and policies. Notable progress has been made through collaboration with Member States, particularly in addressing the fragmentation of their R&I systems. Initiatives have focused on researcher careers, research infrastructures, open science, building trust in science through citizen engagement and mobilising resources for thematic R&I cooperation. The joint priority-setting process co-created between Member States, stakeholders and the Commission has fostered a sense of ownership and increased commitment to implement the ERA, particularly through the first ERA Policy Agenda.
Like the first ERA Policy Agenda 2022-2024, the second ERA Policy Agenda 2025-2027 outlines concrete ERA activities, serving as a strategic framework to foster collaboration among EU countries, to enhance the effectiveness of R&I systems, and to address societal challenges collectively. Drawing on the lessons learned from implementing the first agenda, the second strikes a balance between deepening action on current priorities through structural policies and broadening the vision for the ERA through new ERA actions. Structural policies are long-term ERA policies such as open science, research infrastructures and research careers, that are not confined to individual policy agendas and are embedded in national and European policy. ERA actions are concise, policy-driven and goal-oriented to provide substantive added value for the EU, Member States and stakeholders. Actions on artificial intelligence in science, research security, science for policy, equity in science were identified as gaps where cooperation was deemed necessary. Overall, this gives the next ERA Policy Agenda 2025-2027 a clearer policy-based focus and a clearer structure to facilitate implementation by national administrations and stakeholders.
The ERA Policy Agenda is a non-binding instrument to steer national and EU-level policies in line with ERA objectives set out in Article 179 of the TFEU. It coordinates Member States’ priorities in the work to advance the ERA based on joint action. It therefore encourages voluntary cooperation and coordination between Member States and the EU. Since it is voluntary, there is no legal enforcement of implementation. The ERA Policy Agenda implementation follows the logic of variable geometry. The ERA Forum, bringing together the European Commission, Member States, Horizon Europe associated countries and EU-level stakeholders, serves as the governance body to jointly coordinate implementation of the ERA activities.
While non-legislative initiatives such as the ERA Policy Agenda 2022-2024 containing voluntary commitments in the form of ERA actions have yielded significant progress, they remain insufficient to address structural barriers. The Commission Communication of 22 October 2024 on ERA implementation2 highlighted persistent issues such as disparities in research, development and innovation (RDI) performance across Member States, insufficient levels of private and public investment in RDI below the 3% GDP target, fragmented regulatory frameworks, limited technology transfer support, and the fragmentation of research and technology infrastructures. As a conclusion, the Communication underscored the need for stronger governance.
To address the systemic challenges, future legislative initiatives will be complementary to the ERA Policy Agenda and could introduce legislative measures that go beyond voluntary action under the non-binding ERA Policy Agenda. Such initiatives (e.g. an ERA Act) will be an opportunity to tackle issues through harmonisation, uniform application of rules and enforcement of EU policies to create a level playing field across Member States. It could be applied to areas assessed as needing binding rules or structures in order to achieve the objectives of the ERA over and above voluntary coordination and cooperation measures. This should substantially reduce the fragmentation of R&I policies and systems within the EU.
2. LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY
• Legal basis
The legal basis for this initiative is Article 292 TFEU. In accordance with Article 292 TFEU, the Council can adopt recommendations and it will act on a proposal from the Commission in all cases where the Treaties provide that it must adopt acts on a proposal from the Commission. In accordance with Article 179(1) TFEU, the EU will pursue the objectives of strengthening its scientific and technological bases by achieving the ERA in which researchers, scientific knowledge and technology circulate freely, and of becoming more competitive, including in its industry, while promoting all the research deemed necessary. In accordance with Article 181 TFEU, the European Union and the Member States must coordinate their research and technological development activities to ensure that national policies and EU policy are mutually consistent.
In close cooperation with the Member States, the Commission may take any useful initiative to promote this coordination, in particular initiatives aiming to create guidelines and indicators, organise the exchange of best practice, and prepare the work needed for regular monitoring and evaluation. The European Parliament must be kept fully informed. Article 182(5) opens up the possibility of complementing the activities planned in the multiannual framework programme by allowing the European Parliament and the Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and after consulting the Economic and Social Committee, to adopt the measures needed to implement the ERA.
Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence)
The purpose of the ERA is to create an area where ‘researchers, scientific knowledge and technology circulate freely’ (Article 179 (1) TFEU). Since this is a multi-level governance initiative and takes a whole-of-government approach (ensuring that policies are aligned at different levels of governance and across policy domains), it is in line with the principle of subsidiarity. It respects the competence of Member States in this area and aims to ensure that R&I policy is coherent across all levels of government (local, regional, national and global). It introduces initiatives that provide most of the EU added value at European level, linked to and building on national and regional policy responses. This initiative meets the subsidiarity principle, given that by virtue of Article 4 (3) of the TFEU the proposal does not fall under the exclusive competence of the European Union.
• Proportionality
The actions proposed are proportionate to the objectives pursued. The proposal supports the achievement of the objectives of the new ERA. It complements national action to create a researcher-centred, value-based, excellent and impact-driven research area. The proposal respects Member States’ practices and takes a differentiated approach reflecting Member States’ different economic, financial and social situations, the diversity of research systems and respective institutions and organisations. It recognises that different national, regional or local conditions could lead to differences in how the proposed recommendation is implemented.
• Choice of the instrument
Following the lessons learned from the first ERA Policy Agenda 2022-2024, choosing a Council Recommendation underscores the Commission’s commitment to reinforce the ERA’s collaborative governance by translating the outcome of the co-creation work with Member States, Horizon Europe associated countries and EU-level stakeholders into a Commission proposal for a Council Recommendation. The aim is to build ownership and a well-informed commitment by Member States and stakeholders as a basis for further cooperation on the agreed actions and structural policies for joint action. It also continues the flexible approach taken to implement ERA actions and the voluntary nature of the ERA Policy Agenda.
3. RESULTS OF EX-POST EVALUATIONS, STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS
• Collection and use of expertise
The European Commission underpinned its proposal for the ERA Policy Agenda 2025-2027 with evidence from the first ERA monitoring cycle in 2023. The cycle included the first 18-month review on implementation of the ERA Policy Agenda 2022-2024 at EU-level (EU-level report), ERA country reports on all Member States as well as 11 countries associated to Horizon Europe, the first ERA Scoreboard, and the first ERA Dashboard. The 18-month EU-level report provided an assessment on progress on the priority areas for joint action in the ERA, as laid down in the Pact for R&I in Europe, and on implementation of the ERA Policy Agenda. The ERA country reports provided this analysis at national level. The ERA Scoreboard assessed the overall consolidation and collective progress of ERA priorities in 2023 for the EU as a whole and the Dashboard assessed progress at national level. All reports are publicly available on the ERA Policy Platform.3
• Impact assessment
There is no impact assessment. As it is a Commission proposal for a Council Recommendation, including ERA activities for the future, impacts cannot be clearly identified ex ante. In addition, the ERA Policy Agenda 2025-2027 has been prepared in co-creation with the ERA Forum expert group, bringing together Member States, Horizon Europe associated countries and stakeholders. The preparatory work was discussed in the Council (notably in the ERAC, as well as through adoption of Council conclusions on strengthening the competitiveness of the EU, reinforcing the ERA and overcoming fragmentation4), which evidence that adoption of this document is expected by the Member States and the stakeholders.
• Regulatory fitness and simplification
Not applicable.
• Fundamental rights
Not applicable.
4. BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS
Not relevant.
5. OTHER ELEMENTS
• Implementation plans and monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements
Implementation of the ERA Policy Agenda 2025-2027 is monitored through the ERA monitoring mechanism. The ERA monitoring mechanism is based on the requirements laid down in the Council Recommendation on a Pact for R&I in Europe. On 10 June 2022, the European Commission presented to the Council the ‘Framework for the Future ERA Monitoring Mechanism’, which specifies the components of the mechanism in detail.
To assess implementation of the actions agreed under the ERA Policy Agenda both at national and European level and to assess the EU’s and Member States’ performance in achieving the ERA objectives, the ERA monitoring mechanism comprises both qualitative and quantitative reporting tools.
• Detailed explanation of the specific provisions of the proposal
Not applicable.
- 1.test goed