In its programme for today's conference "Ethics, Research & Globalisation"
(14-15 May 2007), the European Commission states that "... scientific
knowledge is a common good ..." (Programme of the Conference page 7 -
breakout session 3: "Intellectual property rights") [1], via [2].
If the European Commission's previous conference "Scientific Publishing in
the European Research Area Access, Dissemination and Preservation in the
Digital Age" is anything to go by, we may well now expect a Communication
from the Commission to the European Council and Parliament on "Ethics and
Research".
But Chris Armbruster says that "This (Germany's) Bundesrat opinion (on the
Commissions Communication <<Scientific information in the digital age:
access, dissemination and preservation>>) is bad news for OA" [3].
Let us hope that Member States give Ethics and Research a better treatment.
btw, it looks as though the European Parliament may be waiting for
Parliaments in Member States to have discussed <<Scientific information in
the digital age>> (see [4]). Is the Bundesrat really the only legislative
body in the whole EU to have given an opinion so far?
N.Miradon
[1] h t t
p://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/document_library/pdf_06/provisional-programme-ethics-conference-052007_en.pdf
[2]
http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/page_en.cfm?id=3131
[3] SPARC Open Access Forum Digest #1015 2) Correction - RE: [SOAF]
Germany's Bundesrat against OA by "Armbruster, Chris"
[4]
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/FindByDocnum.do?lang=en&docnum=COM/2007/0056
Received on Mon May 14 2007 - 16:49:06 BST