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Re: STM Responds to the Council of European Union



I welcome Michael Mabe's call for a constructive collaboration between all stakeholders. The Conclusions on Scientific Information published by the Council of the European Union recognise the contribution of all stakeholders to the scientific dissemination process and "the strategic importance... of current initiatives to develop sustainable models for open access to scientific information". In this time of change it is important that channels of communication between stakeholders are kept open.

The Conclusions also indicate timescales for actions EU Member States are invited to consider in enhancing policies and practices, such as "improving transparency of the contractual terms of 'big deals' financed with public money" and "working towards the interoperability of national repositories of scientific information". These and other issues have been difficult for all stakeholders to agree upon in the past and it would be good if a more constructive collaboration could take place within the timescales recommended by the EU Council.

Fred Friend
JISC Scholarly Communication Consultant
Honorary Director Scholarly Communication UCL
Land-line +44 1494 563168
Mobile +44 7747 627738

----- Original Message -----
From: "Janice Kuta" <kuta@stm-assoc.org>
To: <liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2007 4:03 AM
Subject: STM Responds to the Council of European Union

This may be of interest.

STM RESPONDS TO THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION: COUNCIL
CONCLUSIONS ON SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE

OXFORD, UK, FRIDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2007 -- STM welcomes the detailed
and balanced views expressed by the Council of the European Union
in its Conclusions on Scientific Information published today . We
are pleased that the Council Conclusions recognise the unique
role and extensive investments made by scientific publishers in
the organisation of peer review, the management of publication
processes, the production, access, distribution, preservation and
digitisation of scientific knowledge.

STM and its member companies have been at the forefront of
experimentation into new forms and models of digital
dissemination: we welcome and support the Council's call for more
experimentation. As a co-founding signatory of the Alliance for
the Preservation of the Records of Science in Europe , STM also
supports the Council recommendations on the need for preservation
of scientific outputs.

Although STM applauds an emphasis in the Conclusions on the need
for economic sustainability in respect of new business models, we
were disappointed that the clear connection between investment in
scientific research, the concomitant growth in the volume of that
research and the inevitable need for greater investment in
scientific information provision was not made. Throughout the EU,
spending on research publications represents less than 1% of the
spending on research.

Michael Mabe, CEO of STM commented:

"I am pleased that the Council Conclusions have acknowledged the
unique contribution STM publishers bring to the world of
scientific information. Through publishers' investments in
digitisation and experimentation with new business models more
researchers already have more access to more scientific articles
than at any point in the history of science."

"STM publishers have been major contributors to the debate
generated by the digital revolution and we look forward to
continuing a constructive collaboration with other stakeholders."

ENDS

STM is an international association of about 100 scientific,
technical, medical and scholarly publishers, collectively
responsible for more than 60% of the global annual output of
research articles, 55% of the active research journals and the
publication of tens of thousands of print and electronic books,
reference works and databases. We are the only international
trade association equally representing all types of STM
publishers - large and small companies, not for profit
organisations, learned societies, traditional, primary, secondary
publishers and new entrants to global publishing.

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/intm/97236.pdf
http://www.alliancepermanentaccess.eu/index.php?id3D1

Contact: Michael Mabe, STM, mabe@stm-assoc.org or phone +44 1865 339321