Between 2007 and 2013, the European Commission is going to spend 50 billion
euro of public money to support research and development projects.
The European Commission has sent its <<Communication on scientific
information in the digital age: access, dissemination and preservation>> to
the European Parliament, to the European Council and to the European
Economic and Social Committee, for discussion.
The European Commission thinks "that, in principle, results of publicly
funded research should be accessible to all after a certain period." [1,2]
I think so too. But nothing has been decided yet.
For Germany, the official conclusions of the Bundesrat were translated into
English by the International Publishers Association. The IPA document was
excerpted and commented by Professor Peter Suber [3].
It is very interesting and educational to read what Professor Stevan Harnad
thinks [4] about what Professor Tom Wilson thinks about what Professor Peter
Suber [3] thinks.
But I wonder if we are not in danger of straining after gnats / missing the
wood for the trees / fiddling while Rome burns / whatever the English saying is.