A new study has found that the European Research Area partnership between Member States, research stakeholders and the Commission has made good progress in delivering an EU 'single market for research.'

 The conditions for achieving a European Research Area (ERA), where researchers and scientific knowledge can circulate freely, are in place at the European level. Reforms must now be implemented at the Member State level to make ERA work.

This is the main conclusion of the latest ERA progress report, presented today by the European Commission. The report updates last year's overview and presents individual country reports that give a snapshot of implementation on the ground, notably at the level of research organisations.

European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn said:

"We have made good progress on the European Research Area in recent years. It is now up to Member States and research organisations to make good on their commitments and put in place the necessary reforms. The Commission will help where it can, including with the €80 billion investment from our new research and innovation programme, Horizon 2020. In particular, national and EU research efforts need to be much more closely aligned if we are to increase impact at EU level."

Research organisations such as research funders and research-performing institutions have shown strong support for the ERA agenda.

At the same time differences still remain at Member State and institutional level. For example, while competitive project-based funding occurs in all Member States, the extent of it varies significantly between countries.

Member States are due to put forward 'ERA Roadmaps' by mid-2015, which will outline their next steps towards ERA implementation. The Commission, research stakeholder organisations and Member States will meet in Brussels in March 2015 to take stock.

Click here to read the ERA progress report.