YERUN contributes its position to the EC's public consultation on the ERA Act

YERUN, the Young European Research Universities Network, has presented its position its input to the European Commission's public consultation on the ERA Act.

In its position, YERUN points out that while existing coordination mechanisms such as targeted policy, financial and technical support for structural reforms and ‘soft’ measures like exchanges of experience and policy dialogues1 have been useful, they have proven insufficient. The paper states that structural barriers persist, including underinvestment in R&I, fragmented funding and regulatory frameworks, restrictions on researcher mobility, precarious careers for researchers and threats to academic freedom. These challenges continue to limit the free circulation of knowledge, researchers and innovation across Europe and, by extension, hinder Europe’s R&I-driven competitiveness. 

YERUN regards the ERA Act as a unique opportunity to move from political aspirations to tangible reality. To achieve a true European Research Area, the Act must introduce common standards and enabling conditions across Member States in support of realising the fifth freedom, while ensuring that measures are consistent and can be effectively implemented throughout the EU. The paper highlights that this is essential for young research universities, which are future-driven, deeply embedded in regional ecosystems and rely on coherent European frameworks to fulfil their role in talent development, research excellence and early-stage innovation. 

YERUN stresses that the ERA Act should focus on improving EU-Member States alignment on a few but core research-related issues, while avoiding over-regulation and additional administrative burden for universities and research organisations. The ERA Act should function as an enabling framework that strengthens coherence across the European Research Area. 

YERUN therefore makes the following recommendations for the ERA Act:

• Strengthening investment in the research environment with significantly increased and sustained public R&I funding through stronger, compulsory national commitments aligned with – and complementary to –EU programmes, and accompanied by incentives to mobilise private investment. This requires binding national R&I intensity targets including longer-term R&I funding for universities as catalysts for attracting private investment and in nurturing R&I ecosystems, as well as transparent expenditure plans and progress towards completing the Single Market, including the fifth freedom and the 28th Regime. 
• Improving EU-Member States coordination by making effective use of existing instruments such as the ERA Forum and ERAC and avoiding the creation of new tools or structures that could increase the fragmentation of governance bodies and carry additional administrative burden, particularly for smaller and younger institutions. 
• Supporting sustainable research careers and mobility by taking action on the persistent cuts in research budgets which restrict Europe’s research talent development. By addressing precarious employment conditions, improving the recognition of qualifications and reducing administrative and social security barriers to mobility, the ERA Act could provide the right framework to fully realise the potential of the fifth freedom. In this context, YERUN strongly supports the establishment of an EU Researcher Visa for third-country nationals with enhanced mobility rights. 
• Safeguarding academic freedom and freedom of research through EU-level protections complemented by minimum national standards, clear definitions of researchers’ and institutions’ rights and responsibilities and appropriate monitoring mechanisms, particularly in a changing geopolitical context.  
• Enabling Open Science through research assessment reform by promoting common European principles that recognise diverse research outputs and practices, reduce over-reliance on quantitative metrics and support qualitative evaluation. This should be supported by stable funding for open, independent infrastructures and publication models, including Diamond Open Access. 

YERUN acknowledges that the public consultation touches upon additional issues that are relevant and related to a stronger and well-functioning European Research Area. At the same time, YERUN cautions against diluting the purpose of the ERA Act with matters that require coordination among Member States and would not benefit from being included in this Act or may be best placed in a different EU legislative package. Finally, YERUN emphasises that research and innovation are distinct yet complementary components of the R&I ecosystem. The ERA Act should prioritise strengthening Europe’s research base by fostering excellence, talent circulation, knowledge sharing and value creation (scientific, social and economic), while complementary initiatives, such as the Innovation Act, the Single Market and the proposed 28th Regime, should provide tailored mechanisms to boost innovation. 

For more information:

YERUN - news

YERUN position accompanying the input to the ERA Act Public Stakeholder Consultation questionnaire