"Freedom is absolutely necessary for scientific progress" - European Commission

" ... I realise 2015 and 2016 will be important for the Dutch. First the preparations, then the responsibility of your forthcoming Presidency of the EU. This will be a vital chance to leave your very inspiring mark on our community until the next one comes around. My services and I are ready to provide you with every support. Your emphasis on Open Access to scientific publications, in particular, could not be more in line with what I hope to achieve through Open Science over the course of my mandate. I think the Netherlands can contribute a great deal to policy discussions on this matter. You are already leading by example. We need to shift our focus from publishing as soon as possible, to sharing and collaborating as soon as possible. Public investment in research and innovation should have the greatest social and economic benefits possible: improving the public relationship with our science systems and opening research results to new innovation and business opportunities. Big and open data alone, could be worth an extra 1.9% to EU-28 GDP by 2020. To remain prosperous and competitive, to continue leading the forefront of learning, this is an opportunity we simply cannot afford to miss. But I know I'm preaching to the converted. I know Dutch universities are determined to remove fee-paying access to their academics' publications. I know your Minister for education announced last year that all Dutch research publications should be open access by the year 2024. Expensive fees for publically funded research results, that could be of benefit to citizens, must end, and new business models put in place. This is one of many areas where your leadership and experience could bring new standards to Europe's science and research community. Open Science, of which Open Access is an important part, will be vital to ensuring European progress and prosperity in the future ..."