The European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) is a pan-European initiative that aims to facilitate the generation of high-quality reference genomes for the continent’s biodiversity as part of the global Earth BioGenome Project. Serving as the European node of this worldwide endeavour, ERGA brings together researchers and stakeholders to coordinate standardised sampling, sequencing, data management, assembly, and annotation for reference genomes across diverse groups of eukaryotes. Through projects like the ERGA Pilot Project and the Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) project, as well as contributions from ERGA national nodes and the broader research community, ERGA aims to accelerate the generation and sharing of genomic resources that will contribute to future discoveries and genomics-based applications in ecology, evolution, bioeconomy, and conservation of species in Europe.

An ERGA Genome Report is a technical description that clearly presents the methodologies employed for sequencing and assembling genomes, together with standard quality metrics and relevant metadata, and genome annotation information if available. The ERGA Genome Reports preprinted and/or published through this collection follow a standardised format to ensure consistent quality and facilitate data findability and reuse. Genome Reports published elsewhere will be considered for inclusion in this collection if they (1) align with the ERGA Genome Report standards and (2) clearly acknowledge ERGA in the manuscript. Through collating Genome Reports from across ERGA affiliated projects and members, this collection provides an open-access resource that promotes high standards, supports comparative analyses, and drives advances in genomics research. Additional information can be obtained from the editors.

The creation of this collection was supported by the Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) project through the Horizon Europe Framework Programme of the European Union under grant agreement No. 101059492, funded by Horizon Europe under the Biodiversity, Circular Economy and Environment (REA.B.3); co-funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) under contract number 22.00173 and 24.00054; and by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s Horizon Europe Guarantee Scheme.