PAREA contributed to the European Commission’s consultation on the ERA Act

PAREA has contributed to the European Commission’s public consultation on the European Research Area (ERA) Act, a legislative initiative aimed at strengthening Europe’s research and innovation ecosystem, reducing fragmentation, and boosting EU competitiveness.

In our submission, we made the case that mental health must be treated as a strategic research and innovation priority within the ERA. Despite accounting for a substantial share of Europe’s social and economic burden, mental health research remains structurally underfunded, fragmented across Member States, and poorly coordinated at EU level. Psychiatry continues to attract the lowest share of commercial R&D investment among medical fields, limiting Europe’s ability to translate scientific advances into societal impact.

We highlighted the need for stronger alignment between EU and national funding priorities, including mission-oriented initiatives that can mobilise high-risk, high-reward research in areas where markets alone underinvest.

We also stressed the importance of protecting freedom of scientific research, noting that fragmented and disproportionate regulatory requirements – particularly for research involving controlled substances – can restrict cross-border collaboration and deter innovation without improving safety.

Our submission further called for investment in shared European research infrastructures, improved data sharing, and new tools in mental health such as regulatory sandboxes to support responsible translation and real-world evidence generation in complex research areas. Together, these measures would help turn mental health innovation into a European strength and reinforce the ERA’s goal of free circulation of knowledge and talent.

You can access our contribution here.