On 16 May 2024, the European Commission published a study aimed at improving access to and reuse of research results, including publications and data for scientific purposes. The study has identified barriers and challenges to access and reuse of publicly funded research results, evaluated effects of the EU copyright framework on research, and identified relevant provisions for research in EU data and digital legislation. On this basis, it presents options for legislative and non-legislative measures to strengthen the free circulation of knowledge and thereby contribute to reinforcing the European Research Area.
Special focus has been placed on investigating the situation in EU Member States that had introduced a Secondary Publication Right (SPR), including Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, and Austria. SPR grants authors the right to freely share their published articles under certain conditions, alongside the initial publication in scientific journals.