English Evaluation of Research and Technological Development (RTD) processes and outcomes is gaining importance in European policy as funds are reallocated to research and demands for accountability are growing. However, a common evaluation ground is not seen yet in Europe. The theme for this article is the landscape of RTD evaluations in Europe and their use in research and technology policy. Based on a comparative study of 22 European countries, concepts of public evaluations and their impacts on policy at meso-and macro-level are outlined and discussed. The article points to future needs and challenges with regard to the construction of public RTD evaluations and their use in policy, in particular with a view to creating the European Research Area (ERA). It concludes that some rethinking of evaluation concepts and practices is called for.