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This Policy Report provides an overview of policy and practice in Open Access (OA) to Research Infrastructure (RI) with reference to established European best practice and current status and ongoing actions in the Western Balkans (WB). OA to RI is part of the wider Open Science Agenda, led by the European Commission (EC) that includes OA to research publications and data.
Its importance is reflected in the 2025 European Strategy on Research and Technology Infrastructures which identifies OA as a key driver to maximise scientific progress and innovation by providing researchers with opportunities to use cutting-edge facilities across borders and to achieve the “fifth freedom” in the EU. The significance of maintaining the OA RIs Agenda can be seen in its longevity and update: the EU published its first Open Access Charter for Access to RIs in 2016 and an update in 2024 (European Charter for Access to Research Infrastructures – principles and guidelines for access and related services).
The report at hand also considers complementary activities undertaken by other partners and stakeholders, including the RCC and the EIT’s (European Institute of Innovation and Technology) InfraBooster action. These are considered against established best practice, published by the EC and individual research performing organisations (RPOs). Finally, the report highlights a potential contribution to the European FP10 “moonshot” project related to regenerative therapies and advanced healthcare innovations initiated by the WB —
coinciding with the European Organization for Nuclear Research’s (CERN) efforts to accelerate medical applications — designed to address Europe’s current geostrategic and geoeconomic challenges and underscoring the lesson that Europe, as a whole, matters.
The Policy Brief will be available soon. Please find the full report below.