Free access to research papers by 2020? ‘Impossible without radical steps’, says EU official | Science|Business

"A senior European Commission official called for “radical steps” to speed up making publicly funded research in Europe freely available to readers, rather than locked behind publishers’ paywalls. “We are today at 20 per cent full open access,” said Robert-Jan Smits, former director-general for research and innovation at the Commission. “Fifteen years ago, we were at 15 per cent open access,” and in 2016 the EU set a target that all publicly research be open, free, to readers by 2020. “So, 80 per cent to go by 2020? Impossible, unless we take radical steps,” said Smits. He was speaking at a conference July 11 in Toulouse. The Dutchman is finalising a roadmap on open access for the Commission, entitled Plan S. In it, he is expected to call on science funders to help him release cutting-edge knowledge currently hidden behind high paywalls. Given his nearly eight-year position as the most senior civil servant in Brussels dealing with research, Smits’ views are expected to have impact when finally published. Some details have already started to leak out in Brussels – but, he said in Toulouse, he isn’t yet finished...."