European Open Science Policy Platform

European Open Science Policy Platform
Name	European Open Science Policy Platform
Established	2016
Type	Advisory body
Parent	European Commission
Location	Brussels

European Open Science Policy Platform The European Open Science Policy Platform is an expert advisory body created to advise the European Commission and EU institutions on policies to advance open access, open data, open science infrastructures, and research transparency. It was launched within the framework of the Horizon 2020 programme and interacts with agencies such as the European Research Council and the Joint Research Centre. The platform brings together representatives from research organisations, libraries, funders, publishers, and industry to align EU initiatives with international efforts led by bodies like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the Global Research Council.

Background and Establishment

The platform was established in response to high-level calls from the European Commission and the European Council during the implementation of Horizon 2020 and the subsequent design of Horizon Europe, following earlier initiatives such as the OpenAIRE project and the Budapest Open Access Initiative. Its formation drew on recommendations from advisory groups including the High Level Expert Group on the European Open Science Cloud and reports by the European Science Foundation. Founding stakeholders included representatives from the League of European Research Universities, the Confederation of Open Access Repositories, the Science Europe association, and national research performing organisations such as the Max Planck Society and the French National Centre for Scientific Research.

Mandate and Objectives

The platform’s mandate was set by the European Commission to provide strategic advice on implementing open science practices across EU research funding instruments like Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, and to support interoperability with initiatives such as the European Open Science Cloud. Objectives include promoting open access to publications, FAIR data principles championed by the GO FAIR initiative, reforming research assessment aligned with the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment, and supporting infrastructures akin to Zenodo and national repositories such as HAL (open archive). It also advises on legal and ethical alignment with instruments like the General Data Protection Regulation and sectoral frameworks including the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market.

Structure and Membership

The platform is composed of members nominated by EU Member States, stakeholder organisations, and the European Commission; members have included representatives from the European University Association, the Association of European Research Libraries, major funders such as the European Research Council, and publishers ranging from scholarly societies to commercial houses like Springer Nature. Governance features a chair and working groups that reflect themes present in reports by entities such as the European Data Protection Supervisor and the European Court of Auditors. National delegates often come from institutions including the German Research Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, the Swedish Research Council, and universities such as University of Oxford and Université PSL.

Key Recommendations and Reports

The platform produced policy briefs and a formal set of recommendations addressing open access publishing strategies, open research data management, incentives reform, and skills development, echoing milestones like the Plan S initiative and the Leiden Manifesto. Reports recommended sustainable funding models for infrastructures resembling Europeana and operational models used by Crossref, advocated for machine-actionable metadata standards used in ORCID and DataCite, and proposed guidance on repository certification similar to CoreTrustSeal. Its outputs cite and align with academic calls in journals and communiqués from organisations such as the Royal Society, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Impact on EU Policy and Legislation

Advice from the platform influenced EU-level policy instruments, contributing to provisions in Horizon Europe regarding open science mandates, shaping the European Research Area priorities, and informing the Commission’s guidance on implementing open access provisions of the Digital Single Market strategy. Recommendations were considered in legislative and non-legislative files debated by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, and they fed into technical specifications for the European Open Science Cloud and procurement practices at the European Commission and agencies such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control during open data responses to crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaborations

The platform maintained active engagement with stakeholders including the OpenAIRE network, the Committee on Publication Ethics, national ministries of research such as the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and international partners like the International Science Council. It organised consultations, workshops, and joint events with actors such as the European University Institute, the CERN community, and the Association of Commonwealth Universities, facilitating dialogue between funders like the Wellcome Trust, infrastructure providers like ELIXIR, and publishers including the Public Library of Science.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critiques of the platform have focused on perceived conflicts between commercial publishing interests and academic open access advocates, debates reminiscent of tensions seen around Plan S and positions held by entities like Elsevier. Some national stakeholders, including representatives from organisations such as the Spanish National Research Council and the Italian National Research Council, argued recommendations did not sufficiently account for disciplinary differences highlighted by the European University Association. Concerns have been raised about implementation feasibility in lower-funded systems and the balance between openness and rights protections invoked by the European Data Protection Supervisor and civil society groups including Communia. Possible overlaps with other EU advisory bodies prompted discussion in forums involving the European Court of Auditors and parliamentary committees of the European Parliament.

Category:European Union advisory bodies