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Council of the EU: Adoption of a European R&I Pact and the ERA Policy Agenda

03. Dec 2021

On November 26, 2021, research ministers of the EU member states adopted a "Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe" (in the form of a non-binding Council recommendation). This pact is intended to contribute to a realignment of the European Research Area (ERA), e.g. along the challenges of the green and digital transition, and to advance research and innovation-related investments and reforms in EU member states. To this end, the pact includes:

  • A list of values and principles relevant to research (e.g. scientific freedom and integrity, focus on excellence, gender equality, free movement of researchers and knowledge, value creation and impact of research results)
  • Priority areas for voluntary joint action by Member States (e.g. on open science, research infrastructures, research careers, knowledge valorisation, digital and green transition, citizen engagement, research and innovation-related investment and reform)
  • A (renewed) commitment of Member States to the 3% target (as share of GDP for total R&D investment) and a reference to optional sub-targets (e.g. GDP share of public R&D investment or share of national R&D funding for joint programmes, European research infrastructures or Partnerships)

To further shape the European Research Area, EU member states have also adopted an ERA Policy Agenda (2022-2024) as an annex to the Council conclusions on a new ERA governance. This Policy Agenda contains 20 actions - some of which have already been announced in previous ERA-related documents - to contribute to the priority areas defined in the Pact. These actions include:

  • Enabling open knowledge sharing and re-use of research results (including through the deployment of EOSC core components and services)
  • Proposing an EU legal and regulatory framework on copyright and data aspects that is appropriate for science
  • Reform of research assessment systems (including through an agreement of European science actors on common standards, principles, and commitments to action)
  • Promoting attractive research careers and balanced mobility of talent in the ERA (including through a European framework/observatory for research careers and the revision of the Charter and Code for Researchers)
  • Safeguarding academic freedom in Europe (including by supporting the implementation of the planned guidelines on foreign interference, publishing a first European monitoring report on academic freedom)
  • Improved access to research infrastructures (including through a revision of the relevant European Charter)
  • Strengthening a level playing field in international science cooperation (including by developing a European agenda for science diplomacy)
  • Supporting and accelerating the digital and green transition (including through an ERA research and innovation pilot action on green hydrogen, developing roadmaps on low-carbon technologies, for energy-intensive industries, and on circular industrial technologies; developing a coordination mechanism for the deployment of technological infrastructures)
  • Strengthening the European higher education sector (including through a European excellence initiative and the consolidation of the "European Universities" initiative)
  • Actions in the field of science communication (including a feasibility study for an EU science journalism network, a mechanism for policy coordination of citizens' participation in the research process)
  • Enhancing the strategic capacity of public research institutions in Europe (through a science management initiative)

The adoption of the Pact for R&I in Europe and the Council conclusions on the ERA governance mark the conclusion of a discussion process on a new ERA initiated in 2020. EU member states as well as countries associated to Horizon Europe now have the opportunity to express their willingness to participate in individual actions of the ERA Policy Agenda. The EU Commission will propose a monitoring and evaluation framework for the further development of ERA by mid-2022 and will also review the implementation of the ERA Policy Agenda.