The European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) has been established in 2004 to devise the technical and legal framework for creating a Single European Railway Area (SERA) as mandated under European Union law. ERA’s core activities are creating a harmonised approach to safety, removing technical barriers, advancing the single European Train Control and Communication System (ERTMS), and promoting simplified access for customers for the European rail sector.

With the entry-into-force of the technical pillar of the 4th Railway Package, the mandate of the Agency has been extended. As of June 2019, ERA will be a European authority responsible for issuing vehicle authorisations and safety certificates in the European Union, as well as pre-authorising ERTMS trackside equipment.