Eurodoc, together with the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), has released a joint statement outlining the urgent need to remove legal, administrative, and structural barriers that continue to hinder researchers’ mobility across Europe and beyond. The statement comes at a crucial moment as the European Research Area (ERA) Act and the upcoming EU visa strategy are expected to reshape the framework for research careers and cross-border collaboration.
It was crucial to emphasize that improving mobility is essential to building an attractive, inclusive, and competitive ERA - one that enables researchers to thrive at all career stages, regardless of their nationality or background.
Persistent Barriers Undermine the EU’s Research Attractiveness
Drawing on extensive evidence from the 2024 MCAA “New Horizon” survey and the 2022 MCAA membership survey, the statement shows that researchers across career stages still face significant obstacles that limit their mobility and professional opportunities. Key challenges include:
- visa and residence permit barriers for both EU and non-EU researchers;
- unclear administrative procedures, such as recruitment paperwork and visa-related guidance;
- insufficient onboarding support, particularly regarding mentorship, housing, and family-related needs;
- income and tax transparency issues, with many researchers lacking clear information on salaries and national tax obligations;
- fragmented career structures, due to the inconsistent use of the R1-R4 framework across Europe.
A Call for Structural Reform Across the ERA
To address these long-standing issues, Eurodoc and MCAA outline concrete policy recommendations that would significantly improve researchers’ working conditions and mobility:
- Enforce and enhance the Scientific Visa Directive (EU 2016/801): unsure faster, simpler, and more harmonised visa and residence procedures for both third-country and EU researchers conducting cross-border research.
- Establish the European standard for research contracts: introduce minimum requirements for transparency, fair employment conditions, and the provision of contracts in both the local language and a widely spoken EU language.
- Mandate the use of R1–R4 profiles in all publicly funded research vacancies: require institutions to map national job titles, pay scales, and career pathways to the European framework, enhancing clarity for job applicants and improving cross-sector comparability.
- Accelerate recognition of research qualifications: align national procedures with the principles of the Lisbon Recognition Convention and introduce semi-automatic or automatic recognition of research degrees across Member States.
Strengthening the ERA Through Mobility
It should be strongly emphasised that mobility is not only a central pillar of the ERA, but also a key driver of knowledge circulation, innovation, and researcher well-being. However, mobility comes with financial, administrative, and personal costs, which disproportionately affect early-career and non-EU researchers. Removing existing barriers would reduce precariousness in research careers, improve international competitiveness, strengthen Europe’s capacity to attract and retain talent, and ensure equal opportunities for researchers and their families.
A Joint Commitment from the Research Community
Eurodoc and MCAA’s joint appeal builds on extensive consultation with researchers across disciplines and career stages: Europe must act decisively to make researcher mobility fair, secure, and sustainable.
The full statement includes detailed data analysis, policy rationale, and proposed solutions is available here: https://zenodo.org/records/17608024