The project aimed at providing insights into the stage reached in Europe with respect to internationalisation of research policies, and preparing a monitoring system to assess evolutions of national R&D policies and strategies towards the ERA (European Research Area). This is done focusing on 4 specific subjects. The ERA Monitoring System once implemented within ERAWATCH should provide complete information on the degree of openness of national R&D policies, on specific programmes and instruments to promote the intra-European dimension of research activities, and on bottom-up initiatives from research actors which contribute to internationalisation of the European research landscape. The report from the study will provide a first analysis of the stage reached under the four topics, which will contribute to a better understanding what is happening in Europe today. It will cover 7 countries: UK, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, Finland and Poland.