Economic Impact of Measures to Improve Access and Reuse of Scientific Knowledge in the EU

The European Commission has published a study analysing the economic impact of policy options aimed at improving access to and reuse of publicly funded research results, publications and data. Prepared by an external consortium and completed in April 2026, the report contributes to the implementation of the European Research Area (ERA) policy on enabling open science.  

The study provides a detailed assessment of the scientific publishing ecosystem in the EU/EEA, including its market structure, dynamics on open access and legal framework. It evaluates two main policy approaches: the introduction of an EU-wide secondary publication right (SPR) and the establishment of a harmonised copyright exception for scientific research. The analysis draws on surveys, interviews and bibliometric data to assess impacts across stakeholders.  

Findings show that open access has expanded significantly, with around 72% of EU/EEA publications available through open access routes in 2024. The study also quantifies the economic dimension of scholarly publishing, estimating annual expenditures of approximately €4 billion for research-performing organisations, alongside personnel efforts exceeding 25,000 full-time equivalents.  

The analysis indicates that increased access, reuse and legal certainty can generate benefits for the European research and innovation system, including improvements in knowledge circulation, research collaboration and visibility of outputs. At the same time, the study shows that policy design influences how these effects are distributed, with more ambitious approaches associated with stronger benefits for research actors and increased adjustment requirements for publishers and other rightholders.  

The report presents a comparative assessment of policy options, outlining how different approaches affect research performance, innovation capacity and the functioning of the scholarly communication system.