In a significant move towards promoting open science, the Council has adopted conclusions on "high quality, transparent, open, trustworthy, and equitable scholarly publishing," emphasizing the urgent need for unrestricted open access to research funded by the public. The Council's stance aims to ensure that scientific findings are readily available and reusable, with a particular emphasis on articles deriving from public funds.
Scientific articles and scholarly publications serve as the primary means of disseminating research and scientific discoveries. However, not all articles are easily accessible to researchers and interested readers. The costs associated with paywalls for accessing and publishing articles have become increasingly unsustainable. Furthermore, private companies often control the publication channels, exerting control over the intellectual property of the articles. Peer review, a critical process for maintaining article quality, faces challenges such as reviewer fatigue and an overwhelming number of submissions. Predatory and questionable publishing practices further compound these issues.
In its conclusions, the Council urges the European Commission and member states to support policies that foster a scholarly publishing model that is not-for-profit, open access, and available in multiple formats, with no financial burden placed on authors or readers. Some member states have already incorporated secondary publication rights into their national copyright legislation, allowing for open access to scholarly publications funded by the public. The Council encourages the adoption of national open access policies and guidelines, promoting immediate open accessibility to scholarly publications under open licenses.
Recognizing positive advancements in monitoring progress through initiatives like the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), the Council suggests integrating open science monitoring into the European Research Area monitoring mechanism. Additionally, the Council promotes member states' support for the pilot program Open Research Europe, aimed at establishing a large-scale open access research publishing service. The use of open-source software and standards is encouraged, alongside the recognition and reward of peer review activities in researcher assessments. Lastly, the Council calls for the provision of training for researchers on peer review skills and intellectual property rights.
By advocating for transparent, equitable, and open access to scholarly publications, the Council aims to foster a research environment where scientific knowledge is freely accessible to all, fostering collaboration, innovation, and progress.
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