COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Towards better access to scientific information: Boosting the benefits of public investments in research
Date: 2012-07-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU research policy, Internet, access to information, digital archiving, dissemination of information, innovation, scientific press, scientific research

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 17.7.2012  
COM(2012) 401 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Towards better access to scientific information:  
Boosting the benefits of public investments in research 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Towards better access to scientific information:  
Boosting the benefits of public investments in research 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The  Europe  2020  strategy  for  a  smart,  sustainable  and  inclusive  economy  underlines  the 
central  role  of  knowledge  and  innovation  in  generating  growth.  Research  results,  including 
both publications and data collections, need to be circulated rapidly and widely, using digital 
media. This accelerates scientific discovery, enables new forms of data-intensive research and 
allows research findings to be systematically taken up by European business and industry. To 
spur  scientific  and  technological  progress,  the  European  Union  (EU)  should  review  its 
policies and practices on disseminating scientific information, and take the necessary steps to 
improve access to the results of publicly-funded scientific research. 

Example:  Mapping  the  human  genome  will  enable  scientists  to  make  progress  in  tackling 
serious diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and HIV/AIDS. It is estimated that government 
investments  of  $3.8  billion  in  the  Human  Genome  Project,  a  US  co-ordinated  research 
endeavour including major European contributions, have had an economic impact worth $796 
billion,  created  310 000  jobs  and  launched  the  genome  revolution.  This  is  an  excellent 
illustration of the power that open access to scientific information can have. 

This  Communication  sets  out  the  action  that  the  Commission  intends  to  take  to  improve 
access to scientific information and to boost the benefits of public investment in research. It 
also explains how open access policies will be implemented under ‘Horizon 2020’, the EU’s 
Framework  Programme  for  Research  and  Innovation  (2014-2020).  The  Communication  is 
accompanied by a Recommendation to the Member States, calling for improved policies and 
practices on access and preservation in the Member States. 

This  initiative  springs  from  two  mutually-reinforcing  policy  strands.  One  is  the  Digital 
Agenda  for  Europe1,  which  sets  out  an  ‘open  data’  policy  covering  the  full  range  of 
information  that  public  bodies  across  the  European  Union  produce,  collect  or  pay  for2.  The 
other  is  the  Innovation  Union  Communication3,  which  outlines  the  EU’s  research  and 
innovation policies and programmes. 

The  proposed  measures  build  on  earlier  work,  in  particular  the  2007  Communication  on 
scientific  information  in  the  digital  age4  and  the  related  Council  Conclusions,  the  2009 
Communication on ICT infrastructures for e-Science5 and the strategic policy developed for 
the European Research Area (ERA). 

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COM(2010) 245 final/2. 
See ‘open data’ package adopted on 12 December 2011, COM(2011) 882. 
COM(2010) 546 final. 
COM(2007) 56 final. 
COM(2009) 108 final. 

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To  improve  access  to  scientific  information,  Member  States,  research  funding  bodies, 
researchers,  scientific  publishers,  universities  and  their  libraries,  innovative  industries,  and 
society at large need to work together. Europe’s scientific information system must be made 
fit  for  the  digital  age  so  that  the  ‘fifth  freedom’  of  the  EU  —  the  free  circulation  of 
knowledge6 — can become a reality. 

2. 

WHY DOES BETTER ACCESS TO SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION MATTER FOR EUROPE? 

Modern  research  builds  on  extensive  scientific  dialogue  and  advances  by  improving  earlier 
work. Fuller and wider access to scientific publications and data will therefore help to: 

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accelerate innovation (faster to market = faster growth); 

foster collaboration and avoid duplication of effort (greater efficiency); 

build on previous research results (improved quality of results); 

involve citizens and society (improved transparency of the scientific process). 

investment  which  has  enormous  potential 

What is at stake is the speed of scientific progress and the return on R&D investment, and in 
particular  publicly-funded 
for  boosting 
productivity,  competitiveness  and  growth.  Wide,  affordable  and  easy  access  to  scientific 
information  is  particularly  important  for  innovative  small  businesses  (Small  and  Medium 
Enterprises,  SMEs).  A  recent  report7  illustrates  the  difficulties  that  Danish  SMEs  face  in 
accessing scientific information. The report indicates that, without speedy access to up-to-date 
scientific  research  results,  it  takes  such  firms  on  average  2.2  years  longer  to  develop  or 
introduce  new  products.  Improving  access  to  scientific  information  is  also  about  increasing 
openness  and  transparency,  which  are  essential  features  of  responsible  research  and 
innovation8, and it contributes to better policy-making in a variety of areas. Improved access 
will lead to more science-literate citizens capable of thriving in the complexities of the 21st 
century. 

Discussions  of  the  scientific  dissemination  system  have  traditionally  focused  on  access  to 
scientific  publications  —  journals  and  monographs.  However,  it  is  becoming  increasingly 
important  to  improve  access  to  research  data  (experimental  results,  observations  and 
computer-generated  information)  which  form  the  basis  for  the  quantitative  analysis 
underpinning many scientific publications.9 

3. 

THE COMMISSION’S VISION 

The European Commission emphasises open access as a key tool to bring together people and 
ideas  in  a  way  that  catalyses  science  and  innovation.  To  ensure  economic  growth  and  to 
address  the  societal  challenges  of  the  21st  century,  it  is  essential  to  optimise  the  circulation 
and  transfer  of  scientific  knowledge  among  key  stakeholders  in  European  research  —

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Conclusions of the European Council of 20 May 2008, Doc. no. 7652/1/08. 
http://www.fi.dk/publikationer/2011/adgang-til-forskningsresultater-og-teknisk-information-i-danmark. 
See Sutcliffe, ‘A report on Responsible Research and Innovation’. 
See ‘Riding the Wave: How Europe can gain from the rising tide of scientific data’, High Level Expert 
Group on Scientific Data, October 2010. 

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universities, funding bodies, libraries, innovative enterprises, governments and policy-makers, 
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and society at large. 

The vision underlying the Commission’s strategy on open data and knowledge circulation is 
that information already paid for by the public purse should not be paid for again each time it 
is  accessed  or  used,  and  that  it  should  benefit  European  companies  and  citizens  to  the  full. 
This means making publicly-funded scientific information available online, at no extra cost, 
to European researchers and citizens via sustainable e-infrastructures, also ensuring long-term 
access to avoid losing scientific information of unique value10. 

Science is changing profoundly. Computerised methods and machine applications will play a 
major  role  in  data-driven  science.  The  Commission  envisions  a  future  in  which  the  data 
infrastructure becomes invisible and the information itself is an infrastructure from the user’s 
perspective. 

This  vision  in  no  way  implies  that  researchers  would  be  prevented  from  patenting  their 
inventions11 or that the protection of intellectual property rights in the EU would suffer. 

Realising this vision calls for an innovative European scientific publishing sector that creates 
new areas of added-value beyond its traditional strengths, and builds on the new opportunities 
of the digital era. 

4. 

WHERE DO WE STAND? 

4.1. 

Access to scientific publications 

Scientific publications are crucial for scientific dialogue and play a key role in the careers of 
scientists.  

Scientific  publishing  is  also  a  profitable  business,  notably  in  Europe.  European  publishers 
account  for  almost  50 %  of  the  articles  published  worldwide  in  the  scientific,  technical  and 
medical fields. They have rapidly adapted to the digital age, using new tools to speed up the 
production and dissemination  process,  improving the searchability  of  content and deploying 
applications building on the underlying raw text and data. 

Rising journal prices — library budgets under pressure 

Over  the  last  two  decades,  the  subscription  price  of  scientific  journals  (paper-based  and 
electronic)  has  increased  at  a  steady  pace  of  around  3.5 %  above  inflation  per  year12.  This 
increase  can  partly  be  explained  by  the  increased  number  of  scientific  articles  published. 
Rising  prices  put  a  strain  on  university  library  budgets  and  research  institutions,  which 
constitute the bulk of subscribers to scientific journals. 

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Communication of the Commission ‘ICT infrastructures for e-Science’ of 5.3.2009, COM(2009) 108 
final. 
Patenting is an effective way of disseminating knowledge in open access mode. 
http://www.arl.org/bm~doc/arlstat09.pdf. 

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Open access 

Given rising journal prices, there have been calls in the scientific community to move towards 
open  access,  a  model  which  provides  access,  use  and  re-use  free  of  cost  to  readers  on  the 
Internet. Two basic models exist: 

‘Gold’ open access (open access publishing): payment of publication costs is shifted 
from  readers  (via  subscriptions)  to  authors.  These  costs  are  usually  borne  by  the 
university or research institute to which the researcher is affiliated, or by the funding 
agency supporting the research. 

‘Green’ open access (self-archiving): the published article or the final peer-reviewed 
manuscript  is  archived  by  the  researcher  in  an  online  repository  before,  after  or 
alongside its publication. Access to this article is often delayed (‘embargo period’) at 
the request of the publisher so that subscribers retain an added benefit.13 

A  growing  number  of  research  funding  bodies  and  universities  around  the  world  require 
researchers  to  provide  open  access  to  publicly-funded  research  results.14  Many  publishers 
have reacted to institutional mandates by allowing the self-archiving of manuscripts accepted 
for  publication.15  Currently  some  20 %  of  all  scientific  articles  are  available  in  open  access 
form, 60 % of which follow the ‘Green’ model.16 Some publishers offer ‘hybrid journals’ that 
contain not only articles for which the author has paid a publication fee (and which the reader 
can  therefore  access  for  free)  but  also  articles  that  are  available  only  to  subscribers  or  on  a 
pay-per-view basis. 

Open access policies do not affect the author’s freedom to choose whether to publish or not. 
Nor do they interfere with patenting or other forms of commercial exploitation. The decision 
regarding  whether  to  patent  and  commercially  exploit  research  results  is  typically  taken 
before  publication.  Open  access  to  journal  articles  comes  into  play  only  if  and  when  a 
researcher decides to publish. 

4.2. 

Access to research data 

Until  now,  scientific  research  results  have  been  disseminated  essentially  by  publishing 
articles.  There  is  no  well-established  practice  of  publishing  the  underlying  data.  Research 
undertaken by the PARSE-Insight17 project showed that only 25 % of researchers share their 
research  data  openly,  11 %  make  it  available  for  researchers  within  their  research  discipline 
and 58 % make it available only within their specific research group. 

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17 

This model allows for certain variations. The length of the embargo period and the version that may be 
archived at different moments in time vary, e.g. depending on the agreements between publishers and 
authors. Online repositories are managed either by academic institutions or funding bodies, or organised 
so as to cover specific subjects. 
See the ROARMAP register: http://roarmap.eprints.org/. 
Some 57 % of publishers’ default policies allow self-archiving of the accepted manuscript, see 
http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo. 
Björk et al., Open Access to Scientific Journal Literature: Situation 2009, available on 
www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0011273. 
‘Permanent access to the records of science’ project, co-funded by the EU under FP7, www.parse-
insight.eu. 

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As a result, many of the publicly-funded research results that exist in the form of data are not 
made widely available for others to verify or build upon, and this makes research investment 
highly inefficient.  

Some  research  funding  bodies  have  therefore  started  requiring  that  researchers  deposit 
research data in suitable data infrastructures, but this practice is not yet widely followed. 

When  making  research  data  available,  European  and  national  data  protection  rules  must  be 
taken into account, as well as concerns regarding trade secrets or national security. 

4.3. 

Preservation of scientific information 

There  are  considerable  economic  and  social  benefits  to  be  gained  from  the  long-term 
preservation of information, knowledge and know-how for use by future generations. The UK 
research  funding  organisation  JISC  carried  out  a  cost/benefit  analysis  of  the  preservation  of 
research  data.  It  found  that  preservation  efforts  lead  to  a  four-fold  return  in  terms  of  cost 
saving alone18. 

Member States are currently amending their legislation on the depositing of digital material.19 

Special attention must also be given to preserving scientific software and models in order to 
keep  information  re-usable  and  re-producible.  Open  standards,  formats  and  open  source 
software solutions can help ensure this. 

4.4. 

The international context 

The  move  towards  open  access  is  a  worldwide  trend.  Currently  there  are  more  than  200 
academic  institutions  or  research  funding  organisations  mandating  open  access  for 
publications across the world.20 The European Federation of National Academies of Sciences 
and Humanities recently adopted a declaration on ‘Open Science in the 21st century’, calling 
for “an open sharing of research results and tools”.21 The accessibility of research data is also 
being discussed in several international fora, including the OECD and UNESCO.22 

5. 

WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO CHANGE? 

The  Internet  has  great  potential  for  improving  access  to  scientific  information,  but  this 
potential is not yet being fully exploited. 

A  key  issue  affecting  access  to  and  preservation  of  scientific  information  is  the  level  of 
investment  in  the  scientific  dissemination  system.  The  economic  and  societal  potential  of 
better  access  to  scientific  information  will  not  be  realised  if  budgets  for  accessing  and 
preserving information are insufficient. 

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http://ie-repository.jisc.ac.uk/279/2/JISC_data_sharing_finalreport.pdf. 
Commission staff working paper accompanying the Communication of the Commission on the 
digitisation and online accessibility of cultural material and digital preservation, SEC(2011) 1274 final. 
http://roarmap.eprints.org/. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/e-infrastructure/docs/allea_declaration.pdf. 
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/9/61/38500813.pdf. 
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002158/215863e.pdf. 

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Another  problem  is  that  action  by  the  different  Member  States  is  uneven  and,  with  some 
exceptions, uncoordinated. Concerted efforts, building on the definition and exchange of good 
practices, could lead to economies of scale and efficiency gains. 

5.1. 

Barriers hindering the transition to open access to scientific publications 

It  is  perceived  that  moving  too  fast  towards  open  access  may  destabilise  the  scientific 
publishing sector and thus the scientific information system. A shift towards open access must 
take into account that the process of selecting, reviewing and publishing articles has a cost. 
This can be done by providing funds for open access publishing (‘Gold’ open access) and by 
ensuring that researchers who self-archive (‘Green’ open access) meet funders’ requirements 
even  when  agreeing  to  embargo  periods  during  which  the  publishers  can  generate  revenue 
through subscriptions. 

The  transition  towards  open  access  must  be  coordinated  and  transparent.  In  the  case  of  the 
‘Gold’ model, any increased expenditure must be accompanied by a proportional decrease in 
subscription costs. Mechanisms also need to be developed to curb ‘Gold’ open access fees in 
the  medium  and  long  term.  Some  universities23  and  research  funding  organisations24  are 
currently experimenting with such issues. 

As  regards  the  ‘Green’  model,  some  researchers  may  fail  to  consider  complying  with  open 
access  mandates  via  self-archiving  because  they  lack  the  necessary  information  or 
infrastructure. They may also fear contractual disagreements with publishers.25 Furthermore, 
policies mandating open access are often not sufficiently enforced.26 

5.2. 

Barriers hindering access to, use and re-use of research data 

The lack of organisation and clarity about responsibilities in improving access to and use of 
scientific data are major barriers to change. E-infrastructures and thematic data infrastructures 
for  storing  and  providing  access  to  data  are  now  rapidly  emerging  worldwide,  but  the 
financing  models  to  ensure  long-term  access  are  often  lacking.  In  addition,  interoperability 
among countries and disciplines remains an issue. 

Many  researchers  and  innovative  enterprises  are  reluctant  to  share  what  they  perceive  to  be 
‘their’ data and are concerned that others will unfairly benefit from their efforts. Researchers, 
moreover,  may  not  want  to  invest  time  in  the  practicalities  of  depositing  their  data.27 
Systematic reward and recognition mechanisms for data sharing, such as citation mechanisms 
and measurements of the data citation impact, are not yet in place.28 

5.3. 

Barriers to long-term preservation 

The  lack  of  financial  and  organisational  models  is  a  major  problem  in  this  area.  Often 
preservation support structures are created for specific projects, limiting funding to a certain 
period. Funding is short-lived, fragmented and does not provide long-term solutions. 

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28 

See the COPE fund, http://www.oacompact.org/. 
See the ‘Sponsoring consortium for open access publishing in particle physics’, www.scoap3.org. 
See the report ‘PEER Behavioural Research: Authors and Users vis-à-vis Journals and Repositories, 
final report’, p. 51 et seq., available on: www.peerproject.eu. 
See the PEER report, precit., at p. VI. 
Report ‘To share or not to share: Publication and Quality Assurance of Research Data Outputs’, 
available on: http://eprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk. 
There are some initiatives emerging such as datacite.org. 

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The technical challenges of preserving large volumes of data remain unsolved, in particular in 
fields such as astronomy and earth sciences that study constantly changing conditions.  

National  rules  and  practices  for  legally-required  data  depositing  are  now  being  adapted  to 
include digital material, but exactly what material is covered and how, differs from one EU 
Member State to another. The 2011 Commission Recommendation on digitisation and digital 
preservation29 points to specific areas to be addressed. 

6. 

ACTION AT EUROPEAN LEVEL 

6.1.  What has the Commission done so far? 

6.1.1.  Developing policy 

If Europe is to reap the benefits of wider access to scientific research results, clear policies are 
needed  —  both  national  and  European.  The  2007  Council  Conclusions  on  scientific 
information in the digital age set out a range of Member State measures with target dates, but 
progress has been uneven30. An updated set of actions to improve access to and preservation 
of scientific information should therefore be recommended to the Member States. 

6.1.2. 

Implementing open access in Community research funding 

As a major research funding body, the Commission has led by example by imposing certain 
conditions on the beneficiaries of its research grants. Following its 2007 Communication on 
scientific information in the digital age the Commission set up a pilot scheme for open access 
to  publications  resulting  from  projects  under  the  Seventh  Framework  Programme  (FP7).31 
Launched  in  2008,  this  scheme  covers  20 %  of  the  FP7  budget  and  spans  several  thematic 
areas. Grant recipients are required to self-archive and to make their best effort to ensure open 
access  to  articles  within  six  or  twelve  months  after  publication,  depending  on  the  research 
area. This requirement relates to articles, but not to underlying data.32 

A May 2011 survey33 of projects covered by the pilot scheme showed that most respondents 
found self-archiving easy or very easy in terms of manpower and time. Three quarters of the 
respondents expressing an opinion agreed or strongly agreed with an open access mandate for 
data  in  their  research  area,  provided  that  all  relevant  aspects  (e.g.  ethics,  confidentiality, 
intellectual property) are considered and addressed. 

6.1.3.  Ensuring EU-wide interoperability 

In  recent  years,  the  Commission  has  supported  the  development  of  e-infrastructures  for 
science,  including  scientific  data  infrastructures,  measures  to  make  national  infrastructures 
more  interoperable,  and  the  preparatory  phases  for  the  setting  up  of  sustainable  European 

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Recommendation of 27.10.2011, C(2011) 7579 final. 
See the report ‘National Open Access and Preservation policies in Europe, 2011, 
http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/document_library/pdf_06/open-access-report-2011_en.pdf. 
Open Access Pilot in FP7; http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-
society/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.topic&id=1300&lang=1 . 
However, the European Research Council (ERC) considers it essential that data underlying peer-
reviewed publications are deposited immediately after publication and in any case not later than 6 
months after the date of publication (ERC Scientific Council Statement on Open Access). 
Survey on open access in FP7; http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-
society/document_library/pdf_06/survey-on-open-access-in-fp7_en.pdf 

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thematic data infrastructures identified in the ESFRI34 Roadmap. Since the beginning of FP7 
the  Commission  has  committed  over  €
 150  million  to  infrastructure  initiatives.  A  central 
project in this context is OpenAIRE35, an e-infrastructure to deposit and access peer-reviewed 
articles and datasets resulting from EU-funded projects. 

6.2.  What are the next steps? 

6.2.1.  Working with the Member States 

In parallel with this Communication, the Commission has adopted a Recommendation to the 
Member States on access to and preservation of scientific information. The Commission will 
work  with  national  points  of  reference,  designated  by  each  Member  State,  to  draw  up 
common principles and standards. 

6.2.2.  Leading by example: Open access in Horizon 2020 

In  Horizon  2020,  both  the  ‘Green’  and  ‘Gold’  models  are  considered  valid  approaches  to 
achieve  open  access.  All  projects  will  be  requested  to  immediately  deposit  an  electronic 
version of their publications (final version or peer-reviewed manuscript) into an archive in a 
machine-readable format. This can be done using the ‘Gold’ model (open access to published 
version  is  immediate),  or  the  ‘Green’  model.  In  this  case,  the  Commission  will  allow  an 
embargo period of a maximum of six months, except for the social sciences and humanities 
where the maximum will be twelve months (due to publications’ longer ‘half-life’)36. 

The  eligibility  of  ‘Gold’  open  access  publishing  costs  will  be  maintained  in  Horizon  2020. 
The  Commission  will  also  consider  whether  and  under  what  conditions  open  access 
publication fees can be reimbursed after the end of the grant agreement. 

The  Commission  encourages  authors  to  retain  their  copyright  and  to  grant  licences  to 
publishers, according to the rules applying in Member States. 

In  addition,  the  Commission  will  to  set  up  a  pilot  scheme  on  open  access  to  and  re-use  of 
research data generated by projects in selected areas of Horizon 2020. The Commission will 
also  encourage,  where  appropriate,  the  publication  of  software  codes  used  to  produce  or 
process  the  data.  In  designing  and  implementing  the  pilot  the  Commission  will  take  into 
account possible constraints on making research data openly accessible which may pertain to 
privacy,  national  security  or  data,  and  know-how  and  knowledge  brought  into  projects  as 
inputs.  Generally,  the  pilot  scheme  will  not  apply  to  projects  whose  primary  aim  would  be 
contradicted by making research data accessible. 

Online  access  to  scientific  information  resulting  from  EU-funded  projects  will  be  further 
improved, building on the OpenAIRE infrastructure and its National Open Access Desks.  

Guidance will be given to researchers and academic institutions on how to comply with the 
requirement to provide open access. 

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36 

European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures  
(http://ec.europa.eu/research/infrastructures/index_en.cfm?pg=esfri) 
Funded by FP7, http://www.openaire.eu/. 
The maximum embargo periods will be laid down in the model grant agreement for Horizon 2020. The 
Commission will  monitor and evaluate their implementation as part of the overall open access policy 
and  review  them  in  case  of  specific  problems,  in  particular  with  regard  to  the  social  sciences  and 
humanities. 

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As  set  out  in  the  Open  Data  Communication,  the  Commission  will  start  operating  an  e-
infrastructure that will make the Commission’s own publications and research data as well as 
those  of  other  European  institutions  and  agencies  easily  accessible  and  usable.  In  parallel, 
metadata definitions with high re-use potential will be identified and promoted. 

6.2.3.  Working with the stakeholder community 

The European Commission will continue its dialogue with and monitor the impact of its open 
access policies on all stakeholder groups interested in open access to publications and data as 
well as digital preservation. These stakeholders include academic institutions, research centres 
and  their  libraries,  scientific  publishers,  enterprises  including  SMEs,  researchers,  policy-
makers and governments, citizens’ organisations, and NGOs. 

6.2.4.  Funding  infrastructures  and  relevant  projects  for  responsible  research  and 

innovation 

The  European  Commission  will  continue  to  fund  projects  related  to  open  access.  In  2012-
 45 million on data infrastructures37 and research on digital 
2013, the Commission will spend €
preservation. Funding will continue under the Horizon 2020 programme.38 

During  the  same  period,  the  Commission  will  support  experimentation  with  new  ways  of 
handling scientific information (e.g. new peer-review methods and ways of measuring article 
impact). 

6.2.5.  Coordination beyond the EU 

Beyond  the  EU,  the  Commission  will  continue  working  with  its  international  partners  and 
scientific  communities  to  promote  open  access.  EU  action  on  open  access  can  inspire  third 
countries  and  third  country  stakeholders  to  develop  their  own  policies.  A  specific  area  in 
which  EC  policy  will  benefit  the  global  scientific  community  is  interoperability  and 
sustainability of data infrastructures.39 

7. 

CONCLUSION 

Wide,  fair,  sustainable  and  easy  access  to  publicly-funded  scientific  information  and  its 
sustainable preservation for re-use can make a significant contribution to Europe’s economic 
growth and help it address the societal challenges of the 21st century. 

In  this  Communication,  the  Commission  sets  out  measures  to  ensure  that  the  results  of 
Europe’s  publicly-funded  research  are  fully  accessible  for  researchers,  businesses  and 
citizens. Some of these measures need to be implemented by Member States, while others will 
be carried out by the Commission. 

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These  infrastructures  are  publicly  funded  and  provided  for  non-economic  activities  such  as  pure 
dissemination of knowledge. 
See EC proposal for Horizon 2020 Specific programme (COM(2011)811 final). This is subject to the 
adoption of the Horizon 2020 legal basis and without prejudice of the final decision on the Multiannual 
Financial Framework 2014-2020. 
See also the forthcoming Communication ‘Enhancing and focussing European international cooperation 
in research and innovation: A strategic approach’. 

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The Commission invites the European Parliament and the Council to show their support for 
the  objective  of  open  access  to  scientific  information  by  playing  their  part  in  adopting  the 
necessary policies and in supporting the planned projects and infrastructures. 

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Access to and preservation of scientific information: key measures 

Policy measures 

– 

– 

– 

Recommendation  to  the  Member  States  on  access  to  and  preservation  of  scientific 
information, 2012. 

Work  with  national  points  of  reference  designated  by  Member  States  to  draw  up 
common principles and standards, from 2013. 

Work with national points of reference to structure and monitor progress on access 
and dissemination, from 2013. 

Open access to results of EU-funded research 

– 

– 

– 

Establish open access to scientific publications as a general principle in the Horizon 
2020 programme and set up the conditions for optimal compliance, from 2014. 

Maintain  the  possibility  of  reimbursing  open  access  publishing  fees  as  part  of  the 
Horizon 2020 programme, from 2014. 

Provide a framework and  encourage  open access to research data in Horizon 2020, 
taking into account any restrictions that may be needed in order to protect intellectual 
property or legitimate commercial interests, from 2014. 

Funding for infrastructures and projects 

– 

– 

Continue funding relevant projects in Horizon 2020, from 2014. 

Provide  €45  million  for  infrastructures  s upporting  open  access  to  research  articles 
and data, and for research on digital preservation, 2012-2013. 

Coordination beyond the EU 

– 

Promote  open  access  policies  and  the  interoperability  of  data  infrastructures  with 
international partners. 

Targets: 

– 

– 

– 

By  2014,  policies  for  open  access  to  scientific  articles  and  data  will  have  been 
established in all Member States at all relevant levels. 

By 2016, the share of publicly-funded scientific articles available under open access 
EU-wide will have increased from 20 % to 60 %. 

100 % of scientific publications resulting from Horizon 2020 will be available under 
open access. 

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