Commission adopts proposal for the next European Research Area Policy Agenda 2025-2027

On February 28, the European Commission adopted its proposal for a Council recommendation on the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda 2025-2027.

The proposal is the result of close coordination between the European Commission, Member States (with Portugal represented by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and ANI), associated countries, and European stakeholders, who collaboratively shaped the content of the ERA's next political agenda at the respective Forum.

Similar to the first ERA Policy Agenda for 2022-2024, the activities outlined for the ERA serve as a three-year roadmap, coordinating efforts to achieve progress on a range of topics, from promoting the principles of open science to reforming research evaluation. Its aim is to translate the priority areas for joint action in the Research and Innovation (R&I) Pact into tangible results, contributing to the EU countries' long-term vision for cooperation in this field.

The EEI's next Political Agenda is organized around three key elements:

• The political context, which sets the stage for broader goals and ambitions and highlights achievements and results;
• A description of the ERA's structural policies, which are long-term policies integrated into national and European policies, such as open science, research infrastructures, and research careers. Concise actions are defined, geared towards the policies and objectives of the ERA, which aim to provide added value to the EU, Member States, and stakeholders in areas and challenges where joint action is needed, such as artificial intelligence in science, research security, and science for policy support, among others.
• A work plan for each proposed policy and structural action (annexed to the recommendation).

The adoption of the next ERA Policy Agenda for 2025-27 by the Council of the European Union is expected to take place next May, during the Polish Presidency of the Council.