ERA must avoid extra rules and red tape, universities warn

Europe’s leading research and university groups have urged the European Commission to ensure the European Research Area (ERA) Act supports funding and academic freedom without piling on extra rules and bureaucracy for universities.

The act, which is expected to be tabled this year, aims to create a borderless market for research across the European Union by responding to fragmented regulatory frameworks, uneven investment and barriers to knowledge sharing in the continent.

A growing number of European research and higher education organisations have published their input into the commission’s consultation process ahead of the adoption of the act.

The European University Association (EUA) welcomed the act, calling it a positive development that could strengthen Europe’s research and innovation landscape.

But it also warned the commission of the dangers of “overly restrictive measures” which it said would risk overburdening researchers and limit autonomy for universities.

“Proposals should not create an additional burden for institutions, such as increased compliance checks. Moreover, any lack of compliance with the binding principles of the ERA Act on the part of the member states should not put R&I actors at a disadvantage,” it says in its report.

The EUA added that striking a balance between lowering fragmentation while maintaining flexibility for universities was “crucial to avoid rigid, one-size-fits-all obligations that could limit institutions’ ability to operate effectively across diverse national, legal and institutional contexts”. 

Meanwhile, Cesaer, a group that represents 50 science and technology universities in Europe, called for the EU’s target of achieving 3 per cent of GDP for research and innovation spending to be directly written into the ERA Act, adding that every member state should commit to meeting the target by 2030, as well as a 1.25 per cent public effort goal.

The group wants progress to be tracked using EU tools such as the annual European Semester, which coordinate economic and social policy without adding new reporting requirements for universities. It argues that making the target part of the act would give research investment more political weight and make it harder for governments to delay action.

The Coimbra Group, another organisation that represents 42 European universities, also called for a stronger commitment to the 3 per cent target for research and development.

The group also stressed the need to protect academic freedom, but warned measures should not lead to more administrative or reporting burdens for EU funding applicants. It also said there was a need to improve research careers, including better conditions for early-career researchers, and make it easier to move between countries.

It also emphasised the need for open science and international cooperation, calling for more responsible research assessment, fewer administrative barriers and better support for universities to work across borders and with businesses. 

Last week, the Young European Research Universities Network (Yerun) also published its input in the commission’s consultation. It stressed that the act should help EU countries work together more closely on core research issues and avoid creating extra rules or paperwork for universities and research organisations.

The network said stronger support for research funding, careers and mobility was needed. It wants better coordination between EU programmes and national policies, as well as protections for academic freedom across the continent.

Yerun also urged the commission to promote open science and better research assessment. It said the focus should stay on core ERA goals with stable funding for open infrastructure.

seher.asaf@timeshighereducation.com