Portuguese MEP, Maria da Graça Carvalho, was appointed by the ITRE - Industry, Research and Energy Commission for the negotiating of the resolution on the European Research Area (ERA).
Re-launched at the end of September by the European Commission, ERA was created in 2000, under the Lisbon Treaty, with the aim of overcoming the fragmentation of Research and Innovation produced in the European Union. Since then, the objective of creating a genuine Single Market for Research has been largely achieved, enhancing collaboration and knowledge sharing among EU researchers.
Twenty years later, the Commission's ambition is that the new ERA will continue to improve the research and innovation landscape in Europe, accelerate the EU's transition to climate neutrality and digital leadership, while also playing an important role in the recovery from the social and economic impacts of the coronavirus crisis. Furthermore, it is expected to contribute to strengthen the Union's resilience and preparedness against future crises.
To that end, a set of actions and strategic objectives has been established, which will be applied in close collaboration with the member states. These include improving access to projects of excellence by researchers from all over Europe and the efforts to ensure that the result of their work reaches the market and the economy. Mobility, skills and career development opportunities for researchers will be other priorities, alongside promoting gender equality and improving access to peer-reviewed science with public funding.