EU Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation challenges Academic Publishers

During the recent STM Frankfurt Conference held in conjunction with the Frankfurt Book Fair, the EC Commissioner for Research, Carlos Moedas emphasized the importance of Open Access for the future of research dissemination, stating real competitive advantages will come from new technologies; "This is the new model, and we are moving rapidly towards full Open Access".

Quoting from the 2002 Budapest Declaration, Commissioner Moedas stated "An old tradition and a new technology have converged to make a possible unprecedented public good. The old tradition is the willingness of scientists to publish the fruits of their work (in journals) without a payment and the new technology is the internet." Commissioner Moedas added, "Today, 15 years later, I would like to add, the key for this access to revolution, if you want to call it, to have intersection of politicians being able to build the right incentives and the willingness of publishers to adapt to the future that is already the present".

Clearly, it is the responsibility of Academic Publishers to rise to this challenge, making OA accessible not only to users, but to content generators who have been prohibited from participating due to extortionately priced Book/Article Processing Charges. Glasstree welcomes this challenge, ensuring that OA is affordable to all academics - this is true Open Access.

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