European Commission supports member states in transition to Open Science

"The European Commission has made a critical step towards an Open Science system where knowledge circulates freely, as soon as it available, through digital and cooperative technology. The revised Recommendation on access to and preservation of scientific information, lays out the basis for policies on open access to data and publications that member states can put in place, which will then work towards an Open Science system. Giving more support to excellent science, research and innovation across Europe, the guidelines will result in scientific, economic and social benefits for the member states and the European Union as a whole. To obtain as many benefits provided as possible, it is especially important that open access policies are coordinated across the EU as part of the European Research Area. How will Open Science benefit member states? Carlos Moedas, commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, said: “Open access to scientific information is a cornerstone of a modern Open Science system. Most EU member states now have open access policies in place but the situation across the EU varies. This revised Recommendation provides very powerful guidance to the member states so that they can reach their goal of transition to immediate open access as the default by 2020.” EU member states can now use the Recommendation to set and implement clear policies to cover all the different aspect of Open Science. The new Recommendation reflects developments in areas such as: Research data management; Text and data mining; and Technical standards that enable re-use incentive schemes. It reflects ongoing developments at the EU level of the European Open Science Cloud, and it more accurately takes into account the increased capacity of data analytics and its role in research. The original Recommendation on access to and preservation of scientific information was adopted in 2012. The commission now revised it in the context of the developments in policies in Open Science, as well as in connection with the preparation of the next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation."