EU ministers agree plan to widen access to research

EU ministers agree plan to widen access to research�|�Breaking City News�|�Reuters.co.uk

BRUSSELS, Nov 23 (Reuters) - European Union ministers adopted a plan on Friday to make it easier for people to access scientific research and to help spread innovation more quickly across the 27-nation bloc.

Research ministers also approved four "joint technology initiatives" to carry out research in medicines, computing systems, nano-electronic technologies and aeronautics, due to be launched next year with billions of euros from the EU budget.

The plan is expected to raise concern among publishers of scientific journals, who fear losing revenue if research is made available free on the Internet -- but to be widely welcomed by librarians, researchers and funding bodies. EU Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik said publishers should not be concerned, but the benefits of digital technology should be used to the full.

"It's nobody's idea to destroy the publishing industry," Potocnik told a news conference.

European researchers publish 43 percent of the world's research and scientific publishing houses in the EU employ 36,000 full-time staff and 10,000 freelancers.

Mariano Gago, science and technology minister for EU president Portugal, said many of the scientific journals were owned by not-for-profit scientific societies and federations.