Green Light for Open Access: Aligning Europe’s OA policies PASTEUR4OA Final Conference

Open Access was in the spotlight during the PASTEUR4OA (Open Access Policy Alignment Strategies for European Union Research) Final Conference “Green Light for Open Access”. The Conference was an event officially associated with the Dutch EU Presidency and attracted some 150 experts from research funding and research performing organisations, publishers, and national policy makers across Europe. It also attracted significant attention on Twitter (#greenlight4oa) with more than 1500 tweets.

PASTEUR4OA supports the development and reinforcement of Open Access (OA) policies, aligned with the European Commission’s 2012 Recommendation on “Access to and preservation of scientific information” and the Horizon 2020 policy on OA to publications and research data. The Final Conference provided the perfect venue for discussing the latest developments in the OA landscape, the project’s achievements and contribution in promoting aligned OA policies in Europe, as well as the upcoming developments in the OA sphere.

The adoption of OA policies was regarded as an essential component in the cultural process towards Open Science that is taking place. Presentations showed the diversity of approaches chosen by European countries and the importance of setting specific goals. In such a context, the adoption of an inclusive approach engaging all stakeholders, the need for aligned and concerted action and the agreement on common goals were highlighted as important elements during the process. While the adoption of policies is essential, numerous participants noted that the implementation aspect is of equal importance. The successful implementation requires the establishment of workflows, appropriate resources, the existence of motives for stakeholders involved, as well as appropriate guidance and training. Issues around monitoring and the research assessment process were also discussed extensively. Finally, infrastructures were highlighted as a component that allows the policies to take effect, while being closely related to sustainability.

The discussions were captured in a series of sketches

Green Light for Open Access provided the opportunity to present the extensiveness of  the project’s contribution to the policy making process at national level. This has been achieved through the operation of the Knowledge Net, a network of national centres of expertise from 33 European countries who have worked closely together and with the project team in fostering the promotion and alignment of OA policies throughout Europe. Acknowledging the significant contribution of the network, collaboration with OpenAIRE is under discussion to enable embedding this work in the workflow of the e-infrastructure. 

The conference video

PASTEUR4OA’s Knowledge Net embedded within OpenAIRE

PASTEUR4OA and OpenAIRE are delighted to announce that PASTEUR4OA’s Knowledge Net activities to support the development and alignment of open access policies in Europe will continue as the Knowledge Net will be integrated into the OpenAIRE infrastructure from September 2016. As the PASTEUR4OA project draws to a close, this will ensure the ongoing sustainability of its vital activities within one of Europe’s major Open Science e-infrastructures.

The Knowledge Net was developed within the context of the FP7-Funded policy-support project PASTEUR4OA to facilitate knowledge transfer and support policy development across the EU. The Knowledge Net is a network of expert organizations from 33 European countries that promote the development, implementation and reinforcement of open access policies that are in alignment with the EC’s 2012 Recommendation on access to and preservation of scientific information and the Horizon 2020 requirements for open access to publications and research data. To achieve this mission, Knowledge Net members have engaged with national policy makers in raising awareness about open access, sharing best practices, providing advice and support and disseminating advocacy resources.

From September 2016 these policy-related activities will be embedded within the OpenAIRE infrastructure as part of the National Open Access Desks (NOADs) activities. Continuing activities will involve – amongst others – producing and disseminating advocacy resources, organizing meetings and webinars for national policy makers, and providing support for policy implementation. OpenAIRE, the European e-infrastructure for Open Access, has already worked on supporting open access policies. This work will now acquire a more specific and systematic workflow, capitalizing on the knowledge and related workflows gained from PASTEUR4OA.