EU Resolution: Council Conclusions on the Transition Towards an Open Science System

On 27 May, 2016, the EU Council met to discuss the transition of their member states towards what they call an Open Science System.

The 18-point conclusion stems from several EU-based OA initiatives, including Horizon 2020 and several reports from the EU Commission which put forward OA dissemination of research—especially data-drive science research—as the most efficient way to drive innovation and serve the public interest. The EU council calls this dissemination “Open Science.”

The conclusion deals with publicly-funded research in particular, stating that it “should be made available in an as open as possible manner” without “unnecessary legal, organizational and financial barriers to access” (p. 5).

While this all sounds good, the conclusion is non-legislative. The majority of its points are recognition of initiatives like the Open Science Policy Platform that are already underway or existing statements like the Amsterdam Call to Action (p. 4), or recommendations that various governments and commissions work to implement Open Science and other OA initiatives at the national level.

You can read the full resolution on the EU Council website.