In October 2025 the European Commission (EC) has launched a public consultation questionnaire on the Have Your Say Portal, inviting all interested stakeholders to contribute to the future European Research Area (ERA) Act. More information is also available in the EC’s news alert.

The questionnaire is an important part of the consultation process and follows the call for evidence which was open for five weeks, from 6 August till 10 September 2025 and received 178 contributions from 29 countries.

The questionnaire is available via this link, clicking on the button ‘respond to the questionnaire’. The questionnaire was published first in English. Translations into the other 23 EU official languages followed shortly thereafter. The consultation remains open for 12 weeks from the date all language versions are available (early November 2025). The deadline to respond is 23 January 2026 (midnight Brussels time). To date 244 valid questionnaires have been received with the majority coming from the academic/research institutions (103; 42.21%). Italy leads with 81 submissions (33.20%), followed by Germany (23; 9.34%) and Spain (18; 7.38%). Belgium ranks fourth together with France (12; 4.92%).

The aims and targeted respondents for the questionnaire (and previous call for evidence) are explained on the Have Your Say Portal.

The received feedback together with additional studies will be used for the preparation of an impact assessment in which the EC’s internal services are consulted.

In the Competitiveness Compass (factsheet and communication) that was presented by the EC in January 2025 the ERA Act is one of the Flagship Actions. The EC’s proposal for the ERA Act is expected to be adopted in Q3 2026 and will present to:

• let national commitments reach a 3% R&D investment target relative to GDP.
• reinforce alignment between the EU and member states’ funding priorities, particularly in strategic priority areas.
• create better conditions for researchers by improving research careers, geographical and intersectoral mobility, and open science measures.
• uphold fundamental values, including scientific freedom, ethics, integrity, gender equality, and equal opportunities across the ERA.

History in brief of the development of the ERA

The ERA was launched in 2000 and represents the EU’s ambition to create a single, borderless market for research, innovation and technology across the EU. In 2009 this objective became part of one of the two treaties which form the constitutional basis of the EU, namely article 179 in the Treaty on the functioning of the EU. Around 2020-2021 the Council of the EU and the EC started a process to renew the ERA and adapt the governance. The Council Recommendation on the Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe was adopted, which describes 10 values and principles and four priority areas, and the ERA governance framework was expanded with the ERA Forum which includes representation from EU member states and associated countries as well as stakeholder organisations. The ERA Policy Agenda turns the four priority areas in the Pact for R&I to voluntary ERA actions and structural policies for member states, Horizon Europe associated countries, stakeholder organisations and the EC (2022-2024 and 2025-2027).