Jean-François Dechamp is a policy officer in the Unit ‘Open Science’ of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. Since 2008, he has been involved in the developments of open access and the implementation of Open Science. Before joining the Commission, he held various positions in Italy, the Netherlands, China and Belgium, focusing on regulatory affairs in the pharmaceutical area, humanitarian aid, and health advocacy. He holds a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from the University of Strasbourg, France.
Abstract
The European Commission has come a long way with open access. It all started around 2005 but there was no Master Plan, secretly prepared in advance to be implemented with an iron fist. Instead, it has been a progressive, complex and almost Darwinian process with many different steps and adjustments. There has been no Professor X masterminding the whole concept from the top floor of a tall building in the European Commission. Instead, there have been women and men listening, analysing, making decisions, and rolling the ball. There has been no Big Bang, but rather a quiet start.
This presentation will be a reflection on the role of the European Commission over almost 20 years, nearly as old as the Messina Declaration, with hints at recent developments and future outlooks.
Ph. Eva Beate Strømsted