Following a consultation in January 2026 by the European Commission on the European Research Area (ERA) Act, six major European organisations – ALLEA, EIFL, IFLA, LIBER, OPERAS, and SPARC Europe have issued a landmark joint statement.  

The joint statement reflects on the current state of open science in Europe and outlines key remaining barriers that require a coordinated approach for open science to reach its full potential. 

While significant policy progress has already been made through the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science (2021), European Council Conclusions in 2022 and 2023 and national open science policies, substantial challenges remain. Financial, linguistic, and geographic inequalities continue to limit equitable participation in, and access to, open science.

The ERA Act represents an important opportunity to accelerate progress through targeted legislative measures, but legislation alone will not be sufficient. 

Achieving open science at scale will require the mobilisation of a diverse ecosystem of actors and complementary tools, including policy alignment, incentives, infrastructure, and community-led initiatives. An aligned and enabling policy environment for open science, open public infrastructures for sharing research and enhanced open science skills are key objectives pursued by EIFL through its Open Access Programme.

Read the Joint Statement by ALLEA, EIFL, IFLA, LIBER, OPERAS, and SPARC Europe here. 

Read about EIFL’s response to the European Commission consultation on the ERA Act here.