The Closure of the ERA Act Public Consultation Marks a Pivotal Moment

The European Commission's public consultation on the proposed European Research Area (ERA) Act concluded on January 23, 2026, drawing an impressive 735 contributions alongside 117 position papers from stakeholders across 50 countries. This robust engagement, particularly from academic and research institutions (45 percent) and EU citizens (24 percent), underscores the urgency felt within Europe's research community for transformative reforms. Respondents highlighted fragmented national systems, uneven research and development (R&D) investments, and persistent barriers to collaboration as critical hurdles impeding the continent's scientific progress.

As Europe grapples with global competition from the United States and China in research output and innovation, the ERA Act emerges as a legislative beacon. Building on the ERA Policy Agenda for 2025-2027, it promises to forge a truly unified research market, fostering higher publication rates, enhanced open access, and greater impact for European university research.

Background: Evolving the European Research Area Vision

The European Research Area (ERA), envisioned since 2000, seeks to create a single, seamless space for knowledge creation and dissemination across the EU. Despite achievements like increased international co-authorship—from 33 percent in 2000 to 37 percent in 2024 for EU institutions—the ERA has fallen short due to voluntary measures. The second ERA EU-Level Report in 2024 revealed persistent disparities in open publication rates among member states and suboptimal researcher mobility.

The proposed ERA Act shifts from soft law to binding legislation, announced in the EU's Competitiveness Compass (COM(2025) 30). It addresses chronic issues like the EU's average Gross Domestic Expenditure on R&D (GERD) hovering at around 2.3 percent of GDP in 2023, well below the 3 percent target set in 2002. For universities, this means potential surges in funding for high-impact publications and collaborative projects.

Core Objectives of the ERA Act: A Blueprint for Research Excellence

At its heart, the ERA Act targets four pillars: ramping up national R&D investments to 3 percent of GDP (with 1.25 percent from public sources), aligning EU and national policies, improving researcher careers and mobility, and upholding core values like scientific freedom and gender equality. It also emphasizes strengthening research infrastructures and mainstreaming open science—critical for boosting Europe's share of global research publications, currently about 20 percent but trailing in citation impact.

By interlinking with the upcoming European Innovation Act, the ERA Act aims to bridge the 'valley of death' between lab discoveries and market-ready innovations, directly benefiting university research labs and publication pipelines.

Stakeholder Demands: Dismantling Invisible Research Borders

Stakeholders, including Science Europe and the European University Association (EUA), passionately called for 'dismantling borders'—not physical ones, but administrative and regulatory hurdles. Examples abound: complex visa procedures delaying non-EU researchers by months, inconsistent recognition of qualifications across member states, and fragmented social security portability stifling cross-border careers. In border regions, even EU researchers face employment barriers due to differing labor laws.

The Call for Evidence analysis (178 responses) pinpointed these as top challenges, with calls for fast-track visas, automatic qualification recognition aligned with the European Higher Education Area, and portable grants. For research publications, reduced mobility barriers could enhance collaborative papers, as seen in Horizon Europe projects where co-authorship drives higher citation rates.

The Push for Funding: From 2.3% to 3% GDP and Beyond

Boosting funding emerged as the clarion call, with respondents urging legally binding national commitments and public scoreboards for transparency. EU private R&D grew modestly 2.9 percent in 2024 to €234 billion, lagging the US's 7.8 percent, per the 2025 EU Industrial R&D Scoreboard. Public investment stands at roughly 0.7 percent GDP, far from the 1.25 percent goal.

Universities stand to gain immensely: sustained funding could mirror France's Labex model, supporting long-term projects and elevating publication output. Science Europe advocates tax incentives and risk-sharing to leverage private funds, potentially unlocking hundreds of billions for European research ecosystems.

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Researcher Mobility: Unlocking Talent for Publication Powerhouses

Precarious contracts plague 40 percent of EU researchers, per surveys, hindering focus on high-quality publications. The ERA Act proposes open-ended contracts as norms, intersectoral mobility programs, and simplified visas. Real-world cases, like ERC grantees facing delays in family reunification, illustrate the pain points.

Enhanced mobility could replicate successes in Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, where mobile researchers produce 20-30 percent more impactful papers. For Europe's universities, this means attracting global talent to boost rankings and output in fields like AI and climate science.

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Open Science: Catalyzing Freer Flow of Research Publications

Open science is pivotal for research publication news, with the ERA Act pushing mandatory open access (OA) for publicly funded work, rights retention, and interoperable data infrastructures. Current barriers—fragmented copyrights, article processing charges (APCs) inequities—marginalize non-English outputs and slow reuse.

Stakeholders like LIBER and SPARC Europe demand secondary publication rights and embargo elimination. The 2024 ERA Scoreboard shows rising OA rates, but disparities persist; harmonization could elevate Europe's global share. Universities report 2024 open publication rates varying from 50 percent in Nordic states to under 20 percent in others.

Reforming Research Assessment: CoARA's Role in the ERA Act

Research assessment reform aligns with the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), now signed by over 600 organizations. The ERA Act could embed CoARA principles—valuing diverse outputs beyond journal metrics—without rigid legislation, preserving university autonomy.

CoARA's response urges recognition of societal impact, mentoring, and integrity in evaluations. This shift could diversify publication types, rewarding books, datasets, and policy briefs alongside articles, fostering richer university research portfolios.

Impacts on European Universities and Research Infrastructures

Europe's 2 million researchers, concentrated in universities, will see fortified infrastructures via sustained funding post-project. Examples include pan-EU facilities like CERN, but gaps in regional access persist. The Act's focus on gender equality—mandatory plans, anti-violence measures—addresses underrepresentation, with women holding only 33 percent senior roles.

Projections: 3 percent GERD could add €100 billion annually, spiking publication volumes 15-20 percent based on investment elasticity studies. Case: Dutch universities' open science mandates doubled OA rates in five years.

• Harmonized policies reduce admin burdens by 20-30 percent.
• Mobility boosts inter-EU co-authorship by 10 percent.
• Open data accelerates citations by 25 percent.

Challenges Ahead: Balancing Ambition with Flexibility

Critics, including universities, warn against red tape—over-regulation could stifle innovation. Science Europe favors 'minimum standards' via Directive, not micromanagement. Concerns include AI governance uncertainties and research security over-securitization.

Solutions: evidence-based approaches, ERA Forum inclusivity, and bottom-up pilots. For publications, avoid metrics mandates that favor quantity over quality.

Photo by Trnava University on Unsplash

Future Outlook: Proposal in Q3 2026 and Lasting Legacy

With analysis underway, the Commission eyes a Q3 2026 proposal. Success hinges on member state buy-in, potentially revolutionizing Europe's research landscape. Universities poised for gains in jobs, funding, and prestige.

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