Re: STM Responds to the Council of European Union

["\"FrederickFriend\"" <ucylfjf@ucl.ac.uk>]

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