European Council publishes the definition of a “2020 vision for the European research area”

The Official Journal of the European Union, OJEU, has published on January 31st, 2009 the Conclusions reached by the Council on the definition of a “2020 vision for the European research area”. Following these conclusions the Council adopts such definition aiming at boosting the complete achievement of the European Research Area (ERA).

By 2020, all players will fully benefit from the ‘fifth freedom’ across the European Research Area (ERA): free circulation of researchers, knowledge and technology. The ERA provides attractive conditions and effective and efficient governance for carrying out research and investing in R&D intensive sectors in Europe. It creates significant added value by fostering healthy Europe-wide scientific competition whilst ensuring the appropriate level of cooperation and coordination. It is responsive to the needs and ambitions of citizens and contributes effectively to the sustainable development and competitiveness of Europe.

According to this definition, the Council endorses the “2020 Vision for the ERA”, which has been developed in partnership by the Member States and the Commission in the context of the first phase of the ‘Ljubljana Process’.

The Council also encourages the Community and the Member States to further coordinate their research and technological development activities so as to ensure that national policies an Community policy are mutually consistent, reaffirming the importance of strengthening scientific and technological bases across Europe and developing its competitiveness in pursuit of sustainable development in all aspects and satisfying the needs of its citizens, by achieving an ERA in which researchers, scientific knowledge and technology circulate freely.

In this sense, it is important to recall that in addition to the Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development there is a variety of other important initiatives at European level, such as EUREKA and COST, that continue to be essential to the creation of a true spirit of cooperation.

As part of its conclusions the Council points out that the Community patent would also constitute an important part of the operational IPR framework which the EU is gradually putting in place, and that the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) together with its forthcoming Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) should be instrumental in bringing closer together research, innovation and education across Europe.

The increasing world-wide competition in research and the emergence of global societal challenges call for accelerating the full realisation of the ERA, including its external dimension. In this context, it is extremely important to reaffirm the role of ERA as a core element of the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs and the necessity to ensure that the it is fully operational and fully contributes to the ‘knowledge triangle’ of research, innovation and education. This process drives the international competitiveness and sustainable development of Europe and underpins its ambitions to become a leading knowledge-based economy and society.

Within this framework, the Council invites the Commission to propose by the end of 2009 a limited number of monitoring indicators and evaluation criteria to measure the progress made in achieving the “2020 Vision for the ERA”.

Main elements of the definition of “2020 Vision for the European Research Area”

  • The ERA is firmly rooted in society and responsive to its needs and ambitions in pursuit of sustainable development: The European publicly-supported research and technology base plays a key role in responding to the needs of citizens and business, through world-class cutting-edge research. The ERA builds on mutual trust and continuous dialogue between society and the scientific and technological community and therefore the freedom of research is fully recognised.
  • The ERA defines the European way to excellence in research and is a major driver of European competitiveness in the globalised world: the 2020 vision acknowledges that  modernisation of research, education and innovation systems go hand in hand, and that the ERA underpins the development of European competitiveness and provides coordinated support to researchers and research institutions engaged in excellent research, at the same time that S&T capacity building is promoted across the EU.
  • The ERA provides a seamless area of freedom and opportunities for dialogue, exchange and interaction open to the world: Public authorities at all levels jointly pursue an outward-looking approach to collaboration with third countries, based on mutual benefit and appropriate intellectual property management and protection. The ERA is at the core of all major global networks of scientific and technological knowledge producers, distributors and users.