Skip to main content

Europe, and the EU member states, already have a strong tradition in Open Access, both in building infrastructures for Open Access repositories and stimulating the establishment Open Access journals and transition of traditional publishing to Open Access.

Open Access Repositories in Europe

The DRIVER project helped to establish and develop repositories in each of the European countries, and stimulated Open Access archiving by promoting policy development at the national level. Institutions wishing to set up a repository can find extensive directions and recommendations on the DRIVER support site. Summaries on Open Access and repositories in each of the member countries are available on the country pages.

Open access to scientific peer reviewed publications has been also anchored as an underlying principle in the Horizon 2020. The Fact Sheet: Open Access in Horizon 2020 describes in a concise manner how Open access is moving from a pilot to an EU policy in Horizon 2020. 

 

European Open Access Repositories Landscape

The numbers below come from the OpenAIRE aggregated space (updated weekly).
Country#repositories # OA publications
Austria {include_countrynumber DATASRC Austria}  {include_countrynumber PUB Austria}
Belgium {include_countrynumber DATASRC Belgium} {include_countrynumber PUB Belgium}
Bulgaria {include_countrynumber DATASRC Bulgaria} {include_countrynumber PUB Bulgaria}
Croatia {include_countrynumber DATASRC Croatia} {include_countrynumber PUB Croatia}
Cyprus {include_countrynumber DATASRC Cyprus} {include_countrynumber PUB Cyprus} 
Czech Republic {include_countrynumber DATASRC Czech Republic} {include_countrynumber PUB Czech Republic}
Denmark {include_countrynumber DATASRC Denmark} {include_countrynumber PUB Denmark}
Estonia {include_countrynumber DATASRC Estonia} {include_countrynumber PUB Estonia}
Finland {include_countrynumber DATASRC Finland} {include_countrynumber PUB Finland}
France {include_countrynumber DATASRC France} {include_countrynumber PUB France}
Germany {include_countrynumber DATASRC Germany} {include_countrynumber PUB Germany}
Greece {include_countrynumber DATASRC Greece} {include_countrynumber PUB Greece}
Hungary {include_countrynumber DATASRC Hungary} {include_countrynumber PUB Hungary}
Iceland {include_countrynumber DATASRC Iceland} {include_countrynumber PUB Iceland}
Ireland {include_countrynumber DATASRC Ireland} {include_countrynumber PUB Ireland}
Italy {include_countrynumber DATASRC Italy} {include_countrynumber PUB Italy}
Latvia {include_countrynumber DATASRC Latvia} {include_countrynumber PUB Latvia}
Lithuania {include_countrynumber DATASRC Lithuania} {include_countrynumber PUB Lithuania} 
Luxembourg {include_countrynumber DATASRC Luxembourg} {include_countrynumber PUB Luxembourg}
Malta {include_countrynumber DATASRC Malta} {include_countrynumber PUB Malta}
Netherlands {include_countrynumber DATASRC Netherlands} {include_countrynumber PUB Netherlands}
Norway {include_countrynumber DATASRC Norway} {include_countrynumber PUB Norway}
Poland {include_countrynumber DATASRC Poland} {include_countrynumber PUB Poland}
Portugal {include_countrynumber DATASRC Portugal} {include_countrynumber PUB Portugal}
Romania {include_countrynumber DATASRC Romania} {include_countrynumber PUB Romania}
Serbia {include_countrynumber DATASRC Serbia} {include_countrynumber PUB Serbia}
Slovakia {include_countrynumber DATASRC Slovakia} {include_countrynumber PUB Slovakia}
Slovenia {include_countrynumber DATASRC Slovenia} {include_countrynumber PUB Slovenia}
Spain {include_countrynumber DATASRC Spain} {include_countrynumber PUB Spain}
Sweden {include_countrynumber DATASRC Sweden} {include_countrynumber PUB Sweden} 
Switzerland {include_countrynumber DATASRC Switzerland} {include_countrynumber PUB Switzerland}
Turkey {include_countrynumber DATASRC Turkey} {include_countrynumber PUB Turkey}
United Kingdom {include_countrynumber DATASRC United Kingdom}
{include_countrynumber PUB United Kingdom}
(includes about 2.5 mi publications from PMC Europe)

Open Access publishing in Europe

There is a growing number of Open Access Journals; most disciplines are now represented. A comprehensive list of (European) journals currently available, is provided by the Directory of Open Access Journals. National initiatives on publishing in OA journals and specific journals can be found on the country pages.

OpenAIRE and the European initiatives

OpenAIRE builds on and provides access to the network of open access repositories already developed; and (in cooperation with other stakeholders, like COAR, SPARC Europe, and LIBER) it supports further expansion, so that authors have the possibility to comply with the EC Open Access Pilot and ERC Guidelines on Open Access within their own local context. OpenAIRE ties the publication to key research project data, so that it can be identified as an FP7 or ERC-funded project.

The NOADs of OpenAIRE

Most of the EU member states have built expertise on OA. OpenAIRE capitalises on this by establishing a network of National Open Access Desks (NOADs), who can provide support to researchers, institutions and repository managers in their own country seeking to comply with the EC Open Access Pilot and ERC Guidelines on Open Access.

The OpenAIRE network of Open Access desks is structured similarly to the Europe-wide information network on European Research Programmes. The focus of the Open Access Desks activities is on support for compliance with the EC Open Access Pilot. The Open Access desks can be contacted for all questions on Open Access, depositing, the EC Pilot, etc. on the national level.

Please click on one of the countries in the list (right) for further information on:
  • The National Research Environment (research institutions, funding)
  • Open Access and Repositories (awareness, repositories, journals, organizations)
  • Contact details of the Open Access Desk