>Thus are battles lost.
At the International Coalition of Library Consortia in October 2006, the
European Commission was thinking aloud [1] ...
* "European Commission can set rules on access and dissemination for
research funded under the Framework Programme" (FP)
* "Opportunity for change from FP6 (2002-2006) to FP7 (2007-2013)"
* "<<Special clause>> requiring deposit of research results - in FP7 grant
agreements?"
That battle has been lost. The <<special clause>> will not appear in all
(?any?) FP7 grant agreements (worth 48 milliards d'euros, 71 billion USD [2])
But the Commission services are already thinking about FP8 (2013 or so,
onwards). And now is the time to act.
I suggest that someone who knows about these things (S. Harnad, are you
listening?) should write a screed, not more than half a page of A4, on Green
OA self-archiving. Call it "Harvesting the Fruit of EU Research". Take the
point of view of a Brussels bureaucrat. Explain to her _how_ Green OA
self-archiving of EU-supported projects could be done, and _why_. Post the
script here for comments. Revise as necessary. Then put a copy in the pocket
of every researcher on this list who has an EU research contract (DRIVER,
are you listening?), and ask them to discuss face to face when next they
meet their EU project officer.
On the basis of feedback received, revise the script again. Put a copy in
the pocket of every one of your colleagues who has an EU research contract,
from Avionics to Zoonoses. Ask each of them to discuss face to face, next
time they meet their project officer, or (even better) her Head of Unit /
Director / Director General.
The aim is to get Green OA self-archiving into the front of the minds of the
people who will be penning the details of the European Union's Eighth
Framework Programme.
"Get in early. EU policies are like supertankers ~V a small nudge early on
can make an enormous difference to the end position, but the later you leave
it the harder you have to push to make any difference at all. Produce the
first bit of paper, and then you will have set the agenda" [3].
N. Miradon
[1]
http://www.aepic.it/conf/viewpaper.php?id=187&cf=7
[2]
http://www.euractiv.com/fr/science/7eme-programme-cadre-recherche-developpement-7eme-pcrd/article-120312
[3]
http://www.civilservant.org.uk/c16.pdf
Received on Wed Nov 28 2007 - 12:30:40 GMT