Use of European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) legal framework accelerating

On 14 August 2023, the European Commission adopted its third report on the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) Regulation.  

With 26 ERICs set up since 2011, ERIC has become a legal instrument of choice for a large part of common European research infrastructure initiatives, notably for those prioritised by the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) Roadmap. This is helping to structure and integrate research activities and resources within the European Research Area.

However, as for many pan-European research infrastructures, the financial and operational sustainability of the ERICs remain a challenge. The report recommends that further effort is needed to strengthen the access programmes of the ERICs and the availability of their services, to increase synergies among the different potential funding sources, to facilitate the engagement with international partners, and to address a number of operational challenges.

Overall, action should be taken to further strengthen the ERICs as research organisations and increase their impact, including for example gathering in-depth information about all components of the ERIC system and activities bound to each ERIC, developing operational synergies including via joint services, fostering the fair green and digital transition, and strengthening crisis resilience.

The report concludes that the development of the new European Research Area Policy Agenda, supported by the work of ESFRI, the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures, and the involvement of stakeholders can provide an effective framework to discuss the way forward.

More information

Third Report on the application of the ERIC Regulation

European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC)