From Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
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Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, today welcomed the adoption of a new European Research Area (ERA) policy framework, which includes a commitment to improving gender equality as one of the agreed priority actions.
At a Competitiveness Council meeting in Brussels today, Minister Harris joined his European counterparts in agreeing to a new framework to maximise the economic and social impact of research and innovation investment, support green and digital transitions, and ensure the ERA is committed to fair, open, inclusive and gender equal career paths.
Speaking today, Minister Harris said:
“I was delighted to be here today to lend our strong support to the new ERA policy framework, which is the culmination of over two years work by Member States and the Commission.
“One of the few positives of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has highlighted how investment in research and innovation can make a real difference to people’s daily lives.
“We all know that we need to act quickly if we are to harness that increased awareness of the relevance of research and innovation and the very significant economic and societal impact it can have.
“A lot has been achieved since the ERA was established 20 years ago, but progress has stalled in recent years and hence a re-commitment to the long-term ERA strategy was required, as well as the need for new governance structures to ensure its effective implementation.”
The new ERA framework includes the adoption of the Pact for R&I, which supports the common values and principles underpinning European R&I policy, while also committing to the priority areas and tools required to drive implementation at EU and national level.
The new framework also provides for new ERA governance structures to support the implementation of the Pact for R&I and the ERA Policy Agenda.
Separately, in advance of today’s meeting, European Ministers were invited to endorse the Ljubljana Declaration on Gender Equality in Research and Innovation.
The Ljubljana Declaration, which Ireland strongly welcomes and supports, underlines the vital importance of gender equality, and a commitment by Member States to be proactive in creating a more inclusive research and innovation community.
Minister Harris added:
“I am very thankful to my Slovenian colleague Minister Simona Kustec for prioritising gender equality and am very pleased to endorse the Ljubljana Declaration on behalf of Ireland.
“This is an area where progress has simply been too slow, but this Declaration will deliver a much-needed emphasis on the importance of mainstreaming gender equality in research and innovation.”
The European Research Area (ERA), which was launched in 2000 and has been enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty since 2009, aims to achieve a single European research area in which researchers, scientific knowledge and technology circulate freely.
The new ERA framework is the culmination of over two years work by Member States and the Commission. The Trio of Presidencies (Germany, Portugal and Slovenia) played a very important role in ensuring a coherent approach to the development of the new framework. Their leadership and commitment were also instrumental in securing Member States’ buy-in to the need for a fundamental reform of our approach to ERA implementation.
The Pact for R&I is an integral part of the new ERA policy framework. It provides the overarching, long-term strategy for European R&I policy and includes the common values and principles, the jointly agreed priority areas and the tools required to drive implementation at EU and national level.
Among the priority areas are:
In September, the Presidency prepared Council Conclusions on the new ERA governance structures to support the implementation of the Pact for R&I and the ERA Policy Agenda.
The Council Conclusions set out the high-level mandate for the European Research Area and Innovation Committee (ERAC) as the strategic advisory body to the Council. They also make provision for the establishment of a permanent ERA Forum as the main body responsible for ERA implementation. The Forum will be co-chaired by the Member States and the Commission.
The Conclusions also highlight the importance of stakeholder engagement and to ensure flexibility.
The Declaration highlights the need to do more to promote gender equality. While some progress has been made, significant challenges remain. Member States have agreed to prioritise the actions in the Ljubljana Declaration during the period 2022-2024. The Council Conclusions outlines the key tasks to be progressed. These are to develop: