The creation of ERA-ARD (the ARD dimension of the European Research Area), financed by the European Commission Framework Programme on Research (FP6), is considered as an outcome of the Rome EFARD Conference. ERA-ARD has been formed to establish coherence and collaboration in European ARD; it has been joined by fourteen European member states for a four-year duration. 

The ERA-ARD mid-term Conference "ARD in Europe: towards a shared vision" is planned for the 28-29 June 2007 in Brussels, Belgium.

The ERA-ARD conference will bring together around 150 key ARD stakeholders from the European Member States and Associated States, the European Commission and the regional and global ARD fora.
Participants will exchange views and debate, inter alia, on the following questions:

- What will the ARD landscape look like in 2025?
- Would there still be a need for an ARD capacity in Europe in 2025?
- How should the European ARD capacity evolve to meet its partners’ needs and enhance its contribution to MDGs?
- What could then be a shared vision for European ARD?

More information is available here.