Science Europe publishes position on the European Research Area

In its assessment of the European Commission's 2012 communication entitled "A Reinforced European Area Partnership for Excellence and Growth,"Science Europe expresses concern that pressure to "complete" the European Research Area (ERA) by 2014 may be closing opportunities for dialogue and preventing Europe from "learning to capitalize on its real strengths: its diversity and the interconnection between national and European policies." 

Given the limited knowledge about the complexity of factors influencing the effectiveness of national research systems, this association of leading European funding agencies and research organizations suggests that rather than reducing EER Priority One to a ‘competitive versus non-competitive’ funding dichotomy, the current approach to EER policy should be rethought to allow for greater mutual learning. 

The Science Europe Declaration explains that although “competitiveness is an important element in science policy and its fundamental role in stimulating excellence is recognized, there is no reason to assume that different countries require identical science policies (...). Different funding models can either stimulate or hinder the implementation of different strategies, implemented in different regional and national contexts."

At a time when the European Commission and EU Member States are reviewing the Commission's approach to the ERA, and the 'ERA Roadmap' for 2015 is being prepared, Science Europe's statement aims to contribute to the debate on the future of the ERA by offering suggestions for speeding up its implementation. Amanda Crowfoot, Director of Science Europe, adds, "Science Europe is fully available to discuss the review of EER policy with the European Commission and other stakeholders."

Science Europe consists of 52 funding agencies and research institutions from 27 countries, representing a total annual budget of €30 billion. Created in October 2011, its aim is to promote the collective interests of its members and provide a platform where they can collaborate on scientific policy and scientific research. Miguel Seabra, President of FCT, is the current President of Science Europe.