Unlocking the EU's Fifth Freedom: Knowledge 'without borders' is the new Security Asset

Europe is one of the world's great producers of knowledge –but too often, its ideas do not turn into innovation, companies or solutions that strengthen society, leading to greater prosperity. This is holding the continent back and requires urgent, coordinated action.

The EESC supports the idea of unlocking a "Fifth Freedom": the free circulation of research, innovation and knowledge across the EU.  With the upcoming ERA Act, the EU has a historic opportunity to make this "freedom" real.

Knowledge is not just another commodity. In today's climate of geopolitical competition, disinformation and fragmentation, it is, not only as the backbone of a more integrated Single Market, but also it can become the cornerstone of Europe's strategic autonomy, competitiveness, and democratic resilience.

Treating knowledge m as a European public good means building systems that allow discoveries to flow across borders—while protecting intellectual property and data-ownership, through licensing agreements secured by blockchains to ensure fair access, uptake and value creation.

But this Fifth Freedom will remain a slogan if Europe does not act on three fronts:

First, close the innovation gap.  Europe invests heavily in research and innovation, yet too little of it translates into new products, services or thriving ecosystems where collaborative and applied research, start-ups, spin-offs and scale-ups can boom. A robust FP10, backed by long-term funding and governance structure that links science, business and society can make the Fifth Freedom the backbone of Europe's R&I system. The existing infrastructure of the EIT provides a solid foundation for this rollout.

Second, dismantle structural barriers. Ideas stop at borders because red tape and bureaucracy get in the way. Grant portability coordinated IP and data governance, and faster access to finance are essential, especially for scale-ups and high-risk innovators. Just as vital is making Europe attractive to talent by improving researchers' mobility,

pan-European recognition of qualifications and better working conditions for young scientists. Talent is global – and Europe must compete for it.

Third, invest like we mean it. Europe's oft repeated 3% of GDP goal for R&I remains unmet.

If we are serious about meeting the target for R&I (and an additional 1% for emergency preparedness), member states must be allowed to exempt national R&I spending from deficit rules until that target is reached.

More coherence is also needed: cohesion funds (e.g. research infrastructure), agricultural funds (e.g., for robotics) and other instruments should be better aligned with R&I objectives, fostering place-based innovation and absorptive capacities across all regions.

As underlined by the EESC and echoed by the Letta report, research is not a cost – it is Europe's most strategic investment for the future of the continent.

Of course, the Fifth Freedom will involve trade-offs:: cohesion vs. excellence, openness vs. autonomy, speed vs. deliberation. But ignoring this debate is riskier than facing it. By combining foresight with bold action, the ERA Act can embed Europe's Fifth Freedom at the heart of the EU Single market.

Europe cannot remain a continent where ideas are generated but too often commercialised elsewhere. The fifth freedom is not only about knowledge – it is about Europe's future relevance in the world. Now is the time to make it real!

By Paul RÜBIG, co-rapporteur of the EESC opinion INT/1082 The ERA Act: unlocking the fifth freedom