I agree with N.Miradon that we should not interpret the lack of a specific
reference to OA in the 15 April statement as signalling a retreat. It is
possible to read too much either way into ministerial statements. The 17
March statement only referred to "encouraging open access" so it was hardly
a call-to-arms! More important in my view is the ongoing process initiated
by the Commission with the Communication of February 2007, and the 10 April
Recoommendation to which N.Miradon refers appears to be a part of this
process.
On the other hand some (not all) publishers are still lobbying actively
against OA at both EU and national levels, and it is important that the
research community still finds ways to make known to the Commission its
support for OA. The Petition of February 2007 was very effective in making
those views known but the voices of researchers need to make themselves
heard anew.
Fred Friend
----- Original Message -----
From: "N. Miradon" <nmiradon_at_YAHOO.FR>
To: <AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-ACCESS-FORUM_at_LISTSERVER.SIGMAXI.ORG>
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 8:40 AM
Subject: EU research ministers retreat from OA (?)
> Peter Suber recently analysed the 'new vision' agreed on 15 April 2008 by
> the EU-27 research ministers and the European Commission. Prof. Suber
> concluded that '... it appears that half-measures (and the publishing
> lobby)
> have prevailed' [1].
>
> It may not be as bad as that. On 10 April 2008, the European Commission
> published Recommendation C(2008)1329. Para 15 of Annex II of the
> Recommendation says -
>
> "Open access is implemented by public research funding bodies with regard
> to
> peer-reviewed scientific publications resulting from publicly-funded
> research".[2]
>
> In other words, public research funding bodies in the EU should implement
> open access.
>
> Since the Commission is recommending OA to other public bodies in the EU,
> I
> infer that the Commission has decided to go Open Access.
>
> I cannot believe that the European Commission would recommend to others,
> something which it will not do itself.
>
> N Miradon
>
> [1]
> http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/2008/04/eu-research-ministers-retreat-f
> rom-oa.html
>
> [2] Recommendation on the management of intellectual property in knowledge
> transfer activities and Code of Practice for universities and other public
> research organisations
> http://ec.europa.eu/invest-in-research/pdf/ip_recommendation_fr.pdf
> http://ec.europa.eu/invest-in-research/pdf/ip_recommendation_en.pdf
> http://ec.europa.eu/invest-in-research/pdf/ip_recommendation_de.pdf
>
Received on Mon Apr 21 2008 - 15:19:59 BST