European Policies

Open Access (OA) and Open Science are key priorities of the European Union, which supports the view that the free dissemination of scientific knowledge enhances the quality and efficiency of research, while at the same time promoting innovation in both the public and private sectors.

As part of its research and innovation strategy, the EU has launched various initiatives with the aim of making Open Access the default standard in scientific publications.

The European Research and Innovation Policy focuses on six key objectives of the European Union:

  • Environment and Climate – Making Europe the first climate-neutral continent.

  • Digital Future – Empowering citizens through next-generation technologies and standards.

  • Employment and Economy – Supporting industry in advancing social goals.

  • Protection of Citizens and Values – Strengthening crisis preparedness and supporting public health.

  • Europe in the World – Setting global standards for the protection of climate, the environment, and labor rights.

  • Democracy and Rights – Strengthening citizen participation in decision-making.

Key EU Initiatives for Open Access to Scientific Information

  • 2007: Report on scientific information in the digital age
    Encouraged the pilot implementation of Open Access (OA).

  • Recommendation (EU) 2012/417
    Report on access to and preservation of scientific information.
    Included specific guidelines to Member States for:

    • Defining OA policies.

    • Developing appropriate infrastructures.

    • Establishing national reference points to promote Open Access in publicly funded research.

  • Recommendation (EU) 2018/790
    Addressed to states, academic institutions, research organizations, and funding bodies.

    • From 2020 onwards, scientific publications resulting from publicly funded research must be made available through Open Access.

    • Researchers retain the necessary intellectual property rights in agreements with publishers, ensuring free availability of their research.

EU Research Funding Programmes and Open Access

  • Horizon 2020 (2014–2020)
    EU research and innovation programme with a budget of almost €80 billion.
    Established mandatory Open Access for all projects funded under the programme.

  • Horizon Europe (2021–2027)
    New EU funding programme with a budget of €95.5 billion.

    • Obligation of immediate Open Access for all scientific publications.

    • Research data must be managed according to the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).

    • The evaluation criteria for research proposals now include compliance with the principles of Open Science.

Supporting Infrastructures

  • Open Research Europe
    Open-access publishing platform for research funded by European programmes.

  • European Open Science Cloud (EOSC)
    A unified, cross-disciplinary online environment where scientists can publish, find, and reuse data, tools, and services, thereby facilitating better execution of their research activities.