Open Science Policy Platform

Open Science Policy Platform
Name	Open Science Policy Platform
Formation	2016
Type	Advisory body
Headquarters	Brussels
Region served	European Union
Parent organization	European Commission

Open Science Policy Platform

The Open Science Policy Platform provided high-level advice to the European Commission on open science policies, contributing to debates involving Horizon 2020, European Research Area, European Parliament, Council of the European Union and multiple national research agencies. It engaged stakeholders from European University Association, Science Europe, European University Institute, CERN, EMBO, Wellcome Trust and national ministries to advise on access to research outputs, research data management, incentives for researchers and research infrastructure. The Platform's work intersected with initiatives like the FAIR principles, OpenAIRE, EOSC, Plan S and influenced policy dialogues at events such as the G7 science meetings and the World Health Organization consultations.

Background and Establishment

The Platform was formed in response to policy directions set by the European Commission under the leadership of Commissioners associated with frameworks such as Horizon 2020 and the European Research Area communication. It drew on precedent work from advisory groups linked to European Research Council, Science Advice for Policy by European Academies, OECD fora and the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors to craft recommendations on openness in research. Stakeholders included representatives from national academies, Association of Universities in the Netherlands, Max Planck Society, CNRS, Instituto Superiore di Sanità and funders like European Investment Bank and Wellcome Trust, reflecting cross-institutional engagement with initiatives such as OpenAIRE and European Open Science Cloud.

Objectives and Mandate

Mandated by the European Commission, the Platform's objectives included advising on policy measures to increase access to publications and research data, promoting research integrity through links with European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity and aligning incentives across funding agencies like European Research Council and foundations such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It worked to harmonize practices across member states represented by ministries such as the Ministry of Education and Research (Sweden), Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany), Ministry of Science and Technology (Italy), and institutions including European University Association and Association of Medical Research Charities. The mandate covered interaction with infrastructure initiatives like CERN, EMBL, ELIXIR and with policy instruments such as Plan S and national open access mandates.

Key Recommendations and Outputs

The Platform produced strategic advice on topics ranging from open access to scholarly publications, to research data stewardship and reward systems for researchers. Outputs referenced international frameworks including the FAIR principles, Budapest Open Access Initiative, Berlin Declaration on Open Access, and supported infrastructures including OpenAIRE, Zenodo, Dryad, DataCite and the European Open Science Cloud. Recommendations advocated policy changes in funding schemes like Horizon Europe successors to Horizon 2020, proposed alignment with publishers such as Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley-Blackwell and collaborations with aggregators like PubMed Central and CrossRef. Reports influenced guidance adopted by bodies such as Science Europe, European University Association and national research funders including UK Research and Innovation and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

Governance and Membership

The Platform was chaired and composed of experts nominated by the European Commission, including representatives from academia, research performing organizations, and funding agencies. Members included senior figures from European Research Council, Max Planck Society, CNRS, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Université PSL, Karolinska Institutet and policy actors from Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, French Ministry of Higher Education, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and commissioners' offices. It collaborated with advisory entities such as the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors, European Scientific Advisory Board for Security and liaised with infrastructures like OpenAIRE and European Open Science Cloud. Secretariat support was provided by units within the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation.

Implementation and Impact

The Platform's influence manifested in policy shifts around open access mandates, data management planning, and research assessment reform; these affected calls under Horizon 2020 and successor programmes and informed policy documents of the European Commission, European Research Area priorities, and national strategies in countries like France, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden. Its recommendations contributed to the evolution of infrastructures such as European Open Science Cloud, influenced funder frameworks like Plan S signatory policies, and shaped best practices promoted by OpenAIRE, DataCite and ORCID. The Platform's outputs were discussed at forums including G7 science meetings, World Health Organization research consultations, LERU conferences and workshops run by the European University Association.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critiques targeted the Platform's perceived proximity to large publishing houses such as Elsevier and Springer Nature, debates over implementation of Plan S, and tensions between researcher incentives promoted by bodies like European Research Council and funders including Wellcome Trust. Some national stakeholders, including representatives from Poland and Hungary, raised concerns about top-down harmonization affecting national autonomy in research policy. Advocacy groups such as SPARC and civil society organizations debated the sufficiency of recommendations versus binding regulatory measures advocated in forums like the European Parliament and by members of Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. Controversies also involved differing interpretations of FAIR principles implementation across infrastructures like ELIXIR and European Open Science Cloud.

Category:European Commission advisory bodies