Paper: Commons Approach To European Knowledge Policy Could Yield Better Outcomes

"A new paper released earlier this month finds that the commons perspective, which embraces knowledge as a shared resource and its management a joint responsibility, could contribute to EU policy discussions and yield better policy outcomes in areas such as health, environment, science and culture, and the internet. The paper, 'The EU and the Commons: A Commons Approach to European Knowledge Policy', can be found here[pdf].  The paper was authored by the coordinators of The Commons Network, Sophie Bloemen, a civil society activist and policy advisor, and David Hammerstein, former member of the European Parliament. They explain that the commons approach requires policymakers to look beyond the narrow focus of intellectual property or economic value. Instead, a more comprehensive understanding of value and policies that serve the common good is required.  The paper notes that the commons approach enables policymakers to assess the collective interests of citizens as a whole rather than focusing on purely individual rights and a market-oriented worldview. The latter is seen as the very perspective that many consider to be at the root of current economic and environmental crises ..."