Leuven: The European Research Area Act is the next big test for Europe’s science policy, and researchers across the Union are waiting for the Commission to turn consultations into a legal text. The Commission has said it plans to present the proposal in 2026. The act would replace voluntary coordination with binding rules for a bloc that counts about 2 million researchers.

The Commission built its case on a wide consultation. Its call for evidence ran from 6 August to 10 September 2025 and drew 178 contributions from 29 countries. A public consultation followed from 13 October 2025 to 23 January 2026 and brought 735 contributions from 50 countries. The Commission describes the aims of the European Research Area Act on its research and innovation policy page.

Those aims reach well beyond money. The Commission wants to tackle fragmented national rules, ease researcher mobility, promote open science and strengthen research infrastructure. It also wants the law to uphold scientific freedom, ethics, integrity and equal opportunities. Supporters call the plan the “fifth freedom” that Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta urged in their reports on European competitiveness and the single market.

Parliament has already set out its demands. On 10 March 2026, MEPs adopted a resolution on the upcoming act by 399 votes to 78, with 69 abstentions. They asked for a regulation that applies directly in every member state, backed by a separate proposal that protects the freedom of scientific research. They also called for a Union target of at least 3% of GDP invested in research and development by 2030.

The 3% goal is the political heart of the file. Parliament wants member states to draw up national roadmaps, raise funding for universities and research organisations, and remove barriers that stop researchers from moving between countries. The European Research Area Act must also fit alongside the Innovation Act, the next framework programme and the European Education Area, so the Commission faces a tough drafting job.

Universities and research organisations have their own wish list. They want stable funding rules, fair and transparent career paths for young scientists, and fewer administrative hurdles when teams apply for cross-border grants. Many also want the European Research Area Act to protect academic freedom in every member state, so that scientists can work without political pressure wherever they are based.

Researchers will judge the proposal on whether its targets bind governments or merely invite them. The “Choose Europe for Science” agenda promised to attract talent, and the European Research Area Act will show whether Brussels can back that promise with enforceable commitments.