The European Commission has decided to try and accelerate the creation of the European Research Area (ERA) by restructuring one of its advisory bodies.

The ERA is an effort to make Europe a better place to do research, by making it easier for scientists to switch jobs, building world-class research infrastructure and institutions, sharing knowledge more effectively, optimising public programmes and funding, and increasing scientific co-operation with the rest of the world.

The European Research Advisory Board will be replaced by the European Research Area Board (ERAB), which will advise on progress towards the ERA and policies to accelerate it formation.

The move was signalled in a Green Paper launched by Janez Potocnik, Europe’s commissioner for science and research, earlier in the year.

ERAB will be an independent body of 22 authorities on science, science policy and the actions necessary to create a knowledge society. Its main tasks will be to write an annual status report on European research and to make policy suggestions. The body may also be asked to give opinions on individual elements of the ERA, discuss implementation with the research and consultative bodies of the member states, and hold workshops to discuss the state of the ERA and suggest future policy options.

Commissioner Potocnik has appointed a group of three to identify the initial ERAB members, based on suggestions from European organisations, and asked for their list by January 2008.

The identification committee includes Dr Claudie Haigneré, former French research and Europe minister; Professor Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former Latvian president; and Dr Andrew Dearing, secretary general of EIRMA.

“If the new ERAB is to be able to fulfil the role we have conceived for it, it needs to be composed of people with high authority. Having an identification committee of this calibre will ensure that the exercise is taken seriously by all those involved,” said Potocnik.