COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Implementation of the European Research Area (...

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Strasbourg, 22.10.2024 COM(2024) 490 final COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Implementation of the European Research Area (ERA) Strengthening Europe's Research and Innovation: The ERA's Journey and Future Directions EN EN 1. INTRODUCTION The ambition of creating a European Research Area (ERA) as a single market for research, innovation and technology across the European Union (EU) was conceived in 2000 in the context of the Lisbon strategy. In 2009, the Lisbon Treaty formally recognised the ERA as an EU objective, under Article 179 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The ERA should be achieved mainly by: (i) reforming national research policies, systems and regulations; (ii) increasing investment in research and innovation (R&I); and (iii) agreeing on common priorities for R&I investment across the EU. Enhancing Europe’s scientific and technological base through cross-border cooperation, building critical mass and fostering continent-wide competition strengthens the quality and impact of science and the attractiveness of Europe as a place to be a scientist or an innovator. As Mario Draghi highlighted in the Report on the Future of European Competitiveness (1), R&I are essential for productivity growth, economic development and competitiveness, for creating more and better...