European Research Area

EUA has been a formal partner in shaping ERA since 2012 and has provided input to its renewal process. Currently, EUA represents the European university sector and coordinates the efforts of 11 university associations in the ERA Forum for Transition, which was established in March 2022. The university sector has constructively contributed to this process and provided extensive input to the development of the first ERA Policy Agenda, for the period 2022-2024. This Agenda sets out voluntary “ERA Actions” to contribute to the priority areas defined in the Council Recommendation on a Pact for Research and Innovation Europe.

Given the importance of ERA for the European research and innovation landscape and the EUA’s long-standing commitment to its advancement, the Association committed to all the 18 ERA Actions included in the Policy Agenda, namely:

• ERA Action 1 on Open Science and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC)
• ERA Action 2 on the copyright and data legislative framework
• ERA Action 3 on the reform of research assessment
• ERA Action 4 on promoting attractive and sustainable research careers
• ERA Action 5 on gender equality and inclusiveness
• ERA Action 6 on academic freedom
• ERA Action 7 on knowledge valorisation
• ERA Action 8 on research infrastructures
• ERA Action 9 on international cooperation
• ERA Action 10 on EU R&I missions and partnerships
• ERA Action 11 on the green energy transformation
• ERA Action 12 on the green and digital transition
• ERA Action 13 on empowering Higher Education Institutions
• ERA Action 14 on citizen science
• ERA Action 16 on improving access to excellence
• ERA Action 17 on research management
• ERA Action 19 on the ERA monitoring mechanism
• ERA Action 20 on R&I investments and reforms