Policy Agenda of the European Research Area - ERA

In September 2020, the European Commission adopted a Communication on the renewal of the ERA, which was the subject of Council Conclusions stating that the new ERA should consist of a joint vision guaranteeing the role of R&I as such and also in the design and implementation of relevant sectoral policies, as well as stepping up concrete R&I actions, increasing political commitment and leveraging existing funding instruments in pursuit of a common agenda. The objectives of the new ERA are:

• Prioritize R&I investments and reforms in order to facilitate the green and digital transition, support Europe's recovery and increase its competitiveness.
• Improve researchers' access to excellent facilities and infrastructures across the EU.
• Transfer the results to the economy in order to boost business investment and market acceptance of research results, as well as to promote the EU's competitiveness and leadership in the global technological context.
• Strengthen the mobility of researchers and the free movement of knowledge and technologies, through greater cooperation between Member States, to ensure that everyone benefits from research and its results.

In July 2021, the European Commission presented a Recommendation for a Pact for R&I in Europe whose main objective was to promote greater integration of national R&I policies in the EU based on the definition of principles and values associated with areas of joint action in combination with the mobilization of national reforms and investments. In November 2021, this Recommendation was approved by the Council of the EU, together with the respective Conclusions on the future governance of the ERA.

The last chapter of the Council Conclusions dealt with political coordination, including the definition of an ERA Political Agenda (translating voluntary actions at Union and Member State level in the context of the priorities identified in the Pact) and a monitoring and follow-up mechanism (consisting of an online platform dedicated to ERA, a scoreboard with indicators for measuring progress and regular political dialogues).

ERA actions 2022-24

The ERA Policy Agenda is designed to contribute to the priority areas of the Pact for R&I in Europe, covering the diversity of national and regional policy contexts and employing an adaptive approach, to be approved by the Council every three years, as a dynamic document that can be periodically adjusted. The priority areas of the new ERA correspond to those where there is a broad commitment and for which actions led by the Member States and the Commission have been envisaged, and only those actions with the participation of at least half of the EU Member States will be implemented.

The final list of actions that make up the ERA 2022-24 Policy Agenda, distributed among the corresponding priority areas, is as follows:

Priority Area "Deepening an internal market for truly functional knowledge"

1. Empowering Open Science
2. EU Data and Copyright Legislative Framework
3. Research evaluation reform
4. Research careers, talent circulation and mobility
5. Gender equality and inclusion
6. Protecting academic freedom in Europe
7. Valuing knowledge
8. Strengthening Research Infrastructures
9. Promoting international cooperation

Priority Area "Jointly taking on the challenges posed by the dual ecological and digital transition and increasing society's participation in the ERA"

10. Missions and partnerships
11. Climate transition
12. Accelerating the climate and digital transition
13. Empowering higher education institutions
14. Bringing science closer to citizens

Priority Area "Broadening access to excellence in research and innovation across the EU"

16. Improving access to excellence across the EU
17. Strengthening the strategic capacity of public research institutions

Priority area "Concerted investment and reform in research and innovation"

19. ERA monitoring mechanism

Portugal has committed to all the ERA actions listed, following preparatory work carried out by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the National Innovation Agency (ANI), which culminated in analysis and validation by the MCTES Cabinet.

Governance of the new ERA

In terms of governance, the Council Conclusions reaffirm the role of the European Research and Innovation Area Committee (ERAC) as the high-level joint strategic policy advisory committee (providing prior advice to the Council, the Commission and the Member States on strategic R&I policy issues). They also recognize the newly created ERA Forum (a Commission expert group with representatives from Member States and EFTA/EEA countries) as the body responsible for coordinating the effective implementation of the ERA Policy Agenda, supporting the Commission and Member States in the delivery of ERA actions.

The Council Conclusions also provide for the existence of sub-groups of the ERA Forum with the mission of assisting in the implementation of the ERA Political Agenda. To date, three governance structures or sub-groups and one permanent sub-group are recognized, although others are already planned:

European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI)

ESFRI is a forum where Member States, the European Commission and Associated Countries establish coordination strategies for European research infrastructures. ESFRI is responsible for creating, updating and monitoring the ESFRI Roadmap, which identifies research infrastructures of European interest in the various scientific areas, thus creating a clear guideline for public policies to fund these infrastructures. Within the framework of the ERA Policy Agenda, ESFRI will coordinate the implementation of ERA action "8 - Strengthening Research Infrastructures". For more information, visit the ESFRI page on the FCT website.

National Delegate: Marta Abrantes (FCT)

European Open Science Cloud (EOSC)

Ensuring a common research data platform where information is searchable, accessible, interoperable and reusable is the ultimate goal of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), enabling the promotion of "interdisciplinary and impactful science in the context of the digital age". Within the framework of the ERA Policy Agenda, the EOSC will coordinate the implementation of ERA action "1 - Empowering Open Science".

National Delegate: João Moreira (FCCN)

Partnership Knowledge Center (PKH)

The group's mission is to advise the Commission on the implementation of the strategic coordination process for EU R&I partnerships and to provide a forum for coordination and cooperation with Member States and stakeholders. The group will help ensure strategic oversight of the partnership portfolio and the progress made by the European Partnerships in achieving ambitious objectives and maximizing the impact of joint investments made through the partnerships. Within the framework of the ERA Policy Agenda, the KPH will coordinate the implementation of the partnership component of ERA Action "10 - Missions and Partnerships".

National Delegates: Luís Maia (ANI), Gonçalo Zagalo (FCT)

ERA Permanent Subgroup on the Global Approach to R&I

The sub-group's tasks are to advise the Commission services on the design, implementation and evaluation of international R&I cooperation approaches and actions, as well as to establish coordination between the Commission and Member States and stakeholders and exchange experiences and good practices in the field of international R&I cooperation, including at multilateral level. The sub-group is co-chaired by a Member State and the Commission and will continue the work carried out by the Strategic Forum for International Cooperation in Science and Technology (SFIC). Within the framework of the ERA Policy Agenda, the sub-group will coordinate the implementation of ERA action "9 - Promoting international cooperation".

National Delegate: Gonçalo Zagalo (FCT)