European Research Area

The European Research Area (ERA) is a vision for a single, borderless market for research, innovation, and technology across the EU. It enhances the coordination of EU research efforts, boosting the circulation of researchers and knowledge, building critical mass, and promoting excellence. Although the ERA has been in development since 2000, the European Commission injected the ambition with a new lease of life in 2020. This initiative led to a new ERA governance framework shaped by the Pact for Research and Innovation (R&I) in Europe and the ERA Policy Agenda.  

ERA Forum

The ERA Policy Agenda and its effective implementation are coordinated in the ERA Forum for Transition, composed of Member States representatives as well as one representative from each EEA/EFTA Country, and representatives of European R&I stakeholder groups. As one of the stakeholder groups, ALLEA officially represents all European academies and supports the European Commission and the Member States in delivering the ERA Policy Agenda Actions and Structural Policies, which cover a wide range of ALLEA’s activities and priorities including Open Science, research assessment, science for policy, academic freedom, research integrity, international cooperation, trust in science, citizen engagement, diversity and equality, climate sustainability, and many more.  

For the first cycle of the ERA Policy Agenda (2022-2024), ALLEA contributed to the work of the ERA Forum through its Working Group on the European Research Area. Following the conclusion of the restructuring of ALLEA’s science policy activities in September 2025, the newly established Science Policy Standing Committee,Task Forces, and Research Ethics and Integrity Council have taken forward a number of activities from the working group, whose activities ended in 2025. 

Framework Programmes

The EU’s Research and Innovation Framework Programmes (FPs) – currently Horizon Europe and preparing their tenth cycle – are the European Union’s flagship funding instruments supporting scientific excellence, cross-border collaboration, and innovation with societal impact. ALLEA contributes to the shaping of these programmes by providing evidence-based advice and comments on legislative proposals, strategic orientations, and implementation measures, ensuring that the perspectives of Europe’s academies are systematically heard. Drawing on its long-standing expertise and the collective knowledge of its Member Academies, ALLEA advocates for Framework Programmes that are ambitious, inclusive, and grounded in the core values of excellent and responsible research. Key points ALLEA consistently promotes include: 

  • Strong integration of the social sciences, humanities, and the arts across all thematic clusters and missions. 
  • Safeguarding academic freedom and research integrity as foundational principles of EU-funded research. 
  • Ensuring balanced, excellence-driven evaluation procedures that recognise diverse forms of scientific contribution. 
  • Reducing administrative burden and simplifying participation, especially for early-career researchers and smaller institutions. 
  • Supporting open science, data sharing, and research security in ways that protect both collaboration and the responsible use of knowledge. 
  • Providing adequate and stable long-term funding, enabling researchers to tackle Europe’s most pressing societal challenges. 

Through its coordinated input, statements, and dialogue with EU institutions, ALLEA works to ensure that the Framework Programmes remain a robust and forward-looking engine for scientific advancement in Europe. 

For past activities in this area, see the example of ALLEA’s work on preparing Horizon Europe 

Related Publications

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