Open Access in the European Research Area: Progress Remains Uneven as New Report Calls For More Concerted Action

From the European Commission:

A new independent expert report published today by the European Commission highlights that, despite notable advancement, the implementation of open access across the European Research Area remains uneven and fragmented. While progress has been made, persistent barriers continue to hinder widespread open access, and further action is needed.

Over the past decade, European Union soft-law measures, national strategies, funder mandates, and, where applicable, national legislation have advanced open access. However, these efforts have not yet produced a coherent framework across the European Research Area, leaving researchers, institutions, and funders to navigate differing policies.

The report provides a snapshot of the current open access landscape, offering policy recommendations to improve access to scientific publications and research data. It draws on an analysis of all 27 EU Member States and eight non-EU countries.

Uneven progress and the challenge of fragmentation

The report acknowledges real progress in open access adoption but highlights that this progress has been uneven, with fragmentation persisting across the European Research Area. Member States continue to differ substantially in areas such as policy instruments, legal enforceability, embargo periods, copyright mechanisms, repository requirements, funding models, and monitoring systems. This lack of harmonisation creates complexity, particularly for cross-border research collaborations.

What drives success, and where policies fall short

The report identifies key patterns in effective open access implementation. Multi-instrument frameworks, combining national legislation, funder mandates, and institutional support, achieve higher and more consistent uptake than single-instrument approaches. Research assessment-linked mandates drive measurable behavioural change, while policies without institutional operationalisation (such as deposit workflows, library support, or compliance monitoring), often fail to deliver results. The findings also stress how the Diamond Open Access model, which provides free access to research for both readers and authors, is gaining momentum. The fragmentation of open access policies across the European Research Area is also reflected in the degree to which adherence to Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) principles for research results is operationally enforced and in the diversity and uneven development of monitoring systems, which makes it difficult to track progress and gain a clearer overview.

Persisting barriers: costs, misaligned incentives, and legal uncertainties

Despite progress, significant obstacles remain. Fragmented national policies restrict the free flow of knowledge and create legal and administrative uncertainties. In most Member States, research assessment systems remain insufficiently aligned with open access objectives, often rewarding prestige and closed publication channels over openness. Rising Article Processing Charges (APCs) represent a major concern, both within and beyond Europe, posing a structural barrier that disproportionately affects under-resourced institutions and researchers. The report calls for systematic tracking of APC and read-and-publish expenditure, and for the publication of contract terms where public funding is involved.

Read the Complete Release

Direct to Full Text: Open Access Policies in EU Member States and Beyond: Final Report
344 pages; PDF.

Filed under: Data Files, Funding, Libraries, News, Open Access, Reports