1. towards a European Charter on Access to Research Infrastructures
CoPoRi Workshop, 5 December 2013
David Bohmert (Swiss Delegate)
Strategy Report on
Research Infrastructures
Roadmap 2010

2. justification Results of EC consultation on ERA (January 2012):
“79% [of respondents to topic] believe that EU support for transnational access to RI of pan-European relevance should be increased. [...]
Increasing awareness at EU level of access opportunities to researchers in all EU countries offered by existing national RI is considered as either 'important' or 'very important' by 72%.”

3. goal & result ERA communication (July 2012):
“ensure open access for researchers to RI across Europe”
“The EC will develop in cooperation with ESFRI, e-IRG and other stakeholders a Charter of Access setting out common standards and harmonized access rules and conditions for the use of RI.”

4. work so far
EC discussed topic with ERA Stakeholder Organisations (SHO) in spring 2013
EC asked ESFRI during 45th Plenary Forum on 4 June to provide input
Working Group on Implementation (IG) drafted a first ‘European Charter on Access to Research Infrastructures’
Executive Board and 46th Plenary Forum from 7 to 8 October discussed adjusted version
SHO expressed willingness to cooperate with ESFRI on 22 October

5. design principles RI definition from Specific Programme Horizon 2020
authors are RI at regional, national, European and global levels > signatories
commitment from research funding organisations is important > signatories
relationship between ‘researcher’ from a ‘home institution’ requesting access to ‘RI’ and respective rights and duties
scope access:
‘physical, remote and virtual access’
reference to ‘open access’ (publicly funded basic research) and ‘free access’ (no contract applies)
short and concise: no unnecessary overregulation, no ‘Preamble’ outlining the ‘spirit’ nor (Annex) elaborating complexities

6. next steps
ESFRI offers version 1.2 to ERA SHO, e-IRG and RI on 2010 ESFRI Roadmap for consideration and feedback until 6 January 2014
EC/ESFRI will discuss amended version with OECD, EIRO Forum, ALLEA and European Association of national Research facilities (ERF)
ESFRI Plenary Forum will be asked to approve in writing
EC consults with stakeholders and prepares consolidated Charter on basis of contributions of ESFRI, e-IRG and SHO
depending on timing and progress made, EC will present an outline of Charter during the second International Conference in RI (ICRI) in April 2014 in Athens
EC will report in on Charter in ERA progress report by September 2014

7. Thank you for your attention! Questions?
Please send your comments and revisions to me by no later than 6 January 2013!
David Bohmert