STM Responds to the Council of European Union

["Janice Kuta" <kuta@stm-assoc.org>]

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

Janice E. Kuta
Director of Marketing & Membership
International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical 
Publishers
E-mail: kuta@stm-assoc.org
Tel: 212-533-0832
Fax: 212-420-8407
www.stm-assoc.org